Bloodsoaked Feathers
by Bozena
Summary: Ever wonder what happend to Hitomi after she returned to Earth? With Van and Hitomi stuck on different worlds, more is at stake then they guess! VH Final chapter complete! This is like a sequal. Please read and review, and I'll give you a big cookie!
1. Default Chapter

Hey, Thanks for reading 'The Escaflowne's next chapter'! I really apologize for all the technical difficulty we had! Hopefully the text and chapters are all fixed (for now) 

Disclaimer: Sorry to surprise you, but I don't own anything Escaflowne ** *shock) **I own everything else though, just now all the important stuff. So has anyone heard a reply from Kazuki Akane? I e-mailed him, to trade my right arm for Van's copyright rights…hehe

Anyways, please read and review, I can't wait to hear from you! If I get three more reviews I'll give you a cookie and write more! Oh, by the way, this first chapter is a prolog

Tawny haired and green-eyed Hitomi Kanzaki, a not so ordinary Japanese senior in high school, gazed out over the water where seconds before had been an apparition of her draconian love from a world called Gaea. 

Three years ago, Hitomi had been transported in a pillar of light, in the middle of a race against time for her "affections" for her school girl crush, Amano, to a world where the Earth and moon hung in the sky. 

This world, called Gaea, with its "mystic moon," strange races, and gigantic armors called guymelefs had apparently needed her. She had been transported with a mysterious boy who had just defeated a dragon, the coronation right to become king. 

Hitomi had been taken in the middle of a war, where her amazing powers would be what decided the fate of Gaea. After Van's country had been destroyed, he, Hitomi, and the legendary war/protector god guymelef, Escaflowne set out on their journey to save Gaea. 

They were soon joined by the Asturian knight, Allen Shazar and his crew, Van's companion Catgirl Merle, Princess Millerna, Merchant Dryden; Princess Millerna's fiancée, while gaining allies on the way. Hitomi later found out that Van was the one of the last descendents of the Draconians, a race of people with angel wings who had accidentally destroyed themselves. 

During their quest to save Gaea, emotional conflicts formed. Van first arrogant, pigheaded, and obsessed with war, grew affectionate, protective, and later (though he first didn't realize it) deeply in love with Hitomi. 

Hitomi was infatuated with Allen, because he reminder her of Amano, but was soon torn between Van and Allen, because Van was too shy and insecure to tell Hitomi his feelings. (Don't blame him, he's had a very hard life)

Princess Millerna was in love with Allen, but engaged to Dryden. Dryden fell in love with Millerna instantly, of course. Allen used to be in love with Princess Millerna's older sister Princess Merlene; before she was betroven to Duke Freid and gave birth to Prince Chid with Allen. (An awkward subject)

On top of this, Van's traitor brother Folken Stratatgos of Zaibach, the evil empire had the love of Naria and Eryia, the twin catweman warriors.

In the final battle, Van and Hitomi realized their deep love for each other and used it to save Gaea. Allen regained his long lost sister Selena, and Millerna and Dryden decided to end their political marriage and find true love.

When Gaea's Great War was won, while taking his brother's dead body back to Fanalia, Van was forced to send Hitomi back to her world. They had both decided that it was safest, even though for them it was the ultimate sacrifice. After painful partings, Hitomi left Gaea.


	2. Chapter 2

[ Even though they were in different worlds, Van and Hitomi were not alone. Everywhere Hitomi goes, she sees Van watching over her. The pendent that Hitomi had given Van still glowed brightly from around his neck, and a single bright white feather hangs from a delicate chain around Hitomi's neck. Some strong connection links them together, enabling them to "communicate," making Hitomi's self imposed exile seem less…devastating. ] 

As the vision of Van disappeared, Hitomi sighed heavily. It was near impossible to be in love with someone from another world. She _knew _that she loved him with every fiber of her being, but they had been separated for more than 3 years and weren't sure if they would_ ever _see each other again. Some people said love could be put out by time, but she knew, knew from the deepest region of her being that they _had _to be wrong. But, still…. It was like living a lie. Hitomi had left Gaea because she thought the Earth needed her. But it didn't. She had left Gaea; left the people (or person) who really did needed her. 

Hitomi was seized by a sudden flood of memories. When she came back to Earth, a vision---a vision of her Grandmother. 

What she had said…was terrifying. 

"Hitomi, I lived my life regretting I left…don't make the same mistake…" 

Hitomi crying, "It's too late, Grandma…It's too late! I've already left! I had to, it was the safest way…" In the vision her Grandmother seemed so real. 

"I loved your grandfather, Hitomi, but I loved _him_ as well…" Hitomi made out the foggy image of Allen's father. "Memories fade over time…but---love doesn't…don't make that mistake…I didn't even know why I hurt so much…I can finally rest. I've missed you so much Leon… I believe in you, Hitomi. Now you must believe in him." 

Hitomi saw Van. Van being hailed as the Great King of Gaea, triumphant and proud. But on the other side of the vision---on the other side of the coin---she saw Van, in Atlantis. And as if in slow motion, he was suddenly caught in an eruption of flame! She couldn't reach him in time. She watched, frozen in horror, till his screams finally pierced her shock. Then everything had gone dark. 

Then Yuri was back, "I love you, Hitomi, and I am so proud of you." And then Yuri was gone and the vision that had held Hitomi in its thrall was gone. The vision had been 2 days after Hitomi had returned to Earth. Hitomi hadn't needed her mother to tell her tearfully that her grandmother was dead.

"Come on, Hitomi!" exclaimed Yukari, Hitomi's best friend. She and Amano, Hitomi's old school girl crush who Yukari had secretly in love with, were finally going out.

"Coming, Yukari" Hitomi called up ahead of her a little sadly. Yukari was leaving with Amano (who, so far, was only in community college to be near Yukari) to America to attend an extremely difficult college. She and Amano had one month left in Japan, and were determined to spend it all with Hitomi. But Hitomi was just never in the mood to see Yukari and Amano. She was so lonely, but at the same time, she just wanted to be left alone. She just couldn't stand to see them so---happy. Every second with them reminded her of all she had lost. 

In the last three years, Hitomi had grown apart from everybody. She was depressed and hardly ate anything. Her mother had been concerned, but claimed she went through the same thing when she reached her teenage years. Yukari still thought Hitomi was depressed because of her and Amano's relationship, no matter how Hitomi tried to reassure her that she was happy for them. 

They were all wrong, Hitomi thought, how could they even have a clue? She must have seen every therapist in Japan, but they all came up with the same answer; heartache, lovesickness, depression…the list was endless. Every single one had complained that Hitomi just wouldn't "open up." They whined that she knew what was wrong, and all she had to do was tell her family instead of wasting _their _time. Hitomi's family had no idea about Van, of course, so how could they even have a clue? Who would they rather believe? Hitomi, telling them it was nothing, or some stranger telling them Hitomi had a mental disorder? 

Yukari always told Hitomi that she watched other couples with such a sad longing look in her eyes. Soooo… obviously she should get a boyfriend. Hitomi loved Yukari, but sometimes she hated her acerbic logic. After Van…She could never love anyone else! 

She wasn't jealous of the couples she watched! No! Hitomi pitied them. They were so ignorant. They didn't have a clue what _real _love was. Their little courtship compared to Van's love was like candles to the sun. Even though candles always went out, the sun was forever, powerful, fierce, and always turbulent. 

Hitomi felt old. Old and tired. She found love at 15. Even though she was 18 now, when you looked into her eyes, they were hundreds of years too old. The last three years had seemed like eternity. She felt too old to be experiencing such a stubbornly strong love and the deep pain of separation. 

Hitomi loved Van so much it hurt! Even thought this pain wasn't physical, it was killing her one small drop of blood at a time…slowly bleeding into the darkness till there was nothing left and the gaping hole in her heart was filled with tears of blood. 

All Van could do was watch and try to fiercely protect her. But how could he protect her from herself? All he could do was "send" Hitomi a feeling that roughly translated as "If only he could have her by his side for one more day than _everything _would be okay! If he could just touch her once more…"

Hitomi sighed. Yukari had been trying to hook Hitomi up with a boyfriend for years. Hitomi only put up with it for Yukari's sake, besides it wasn't whoever boy's fault. If it reassured Yukari, Hitomi could bear a few awkward hours. 

Now Yukari had coerced Hitomi into going out for something to drink with Amano and one of his track friends, not that she paid that much attention to track anymore. Hitomi still won her races, but what was the point? She just ran to get away from the reality of life. It was almost an obsession. Once she had bee running so long with such oblivious focus, willing herself so hard just so forget, that she had collapsed in the middle of the track. Yukari and Amano had been frantic. Not that it was the first time. Not that she cared.

Yukari had gotten tired of waiting for Hitomi, so she had fallen back to her.

"Hey, Hitomi, I heard that Amano's friend is a real knock out!" Yukari said a bit too causally. She glanced at Hitomi slyly. 

"Really," Hitomi replied without any interest at all. 

"Hitomi, Can't you even _try _to be nice to this one? Ever since…well, since I started going out with Amano, I think you've changed. We're just trying to help."

"Just when you started to date Amano? That was almost 3 years ago, Yukari! Besides you know he couldn't _live_ without you. You don't think I acted like this before then?" Hitomi tried a little pathetically to joke out of the conversation. Yukari didn't take the hint. Instead her face lit up in surprise.

"Wait! Your right! It was ever since that night at the track when you were trying to break 13 seconds for Amano!" Yukari exclaimed. Hitomi stiffened.

"Do-- do you remember that day, Yukari?" Hitomi refused to meet Yukari's eyes. What if Yukari knew? How come she didn't? Would this conversation lead to be a good thing or a bad thing? But---why shouldn't Yukari know? Even though reason told Hitomi it was all right, her instincts sent warning bells off in her head. 

"Well, for some reason it was blurry at first, but…. I just don't understand! I just can't---" Yukari screwed up her face and put a hand to her forehead. You could see her straining in frustration to recall what had happened that fateful day. For some reason that section of her memory seemed to be wiped clear, completely blank. 

Hitomi started as the pendent swung into her mind ringing like a bell and she urged it into a small glow with her heart pounding. She hadn't seen the pendent for three years now. For months Hitomi had missed the comforting weight around her neck. She kept reaching for it and realizing it wasn't there. 

Van's consciousness asked Hitomi what she was doing. The pendent was probably reacting. She ignored the question for now. Van could wait for now. 

She couldn't remember the last time the pendent was in her mind when she hadn't called it. Wait, yes she could remember! In Gaea, on the battlefield. So why was it summoned for Yukari?

The fragile web of memory was breached with a rip and memories of that day flooded back to Yukari in a clash. Yukari yelped, "Wait! There was this light! You ran towards it and were suddenly gone! And there was something in the light! A boy riding a…riding a…" Yukari faltered.

"Riding what?" Hitomi prompted urgently.

"Never mind, I probably didn't see what I thought I saw." Yukari hesitated.

"What was it, Yukari?" Hitomi practically yelled in her ear. Yukari's eyes were wide in astonishment. She hadn't see Hitomi worked up about anything since…well, since the day after the light. What had that light been? 

What had Hitomi's mother said? For some reason she couldn't remember. Something about Hitomi's grandmother?

Yukari remembered waiting at Hitomi's house after she had been abducted or whatever and fretting when Hitomi suddenly was home and looking like she was 100 years old and going to collapse. Yukari remembered the tears pouring down her cheeks and the strange mixture of peace and sorrow on her face. 

After that Hitomi had become somewhat of a puppet, a shadow of her old self, but Yukari had just attributed that to her giving up on Amano for her. Was there something she was missing? Yukari had a terrible feeling about this. 

"Jeez, Hitomi! All right! It was a flying metal dragon! The boy held his hand out to you and you took it! Then disappeared!" Yukari said, her face agitated and full of distress. Hitomi was white as chalk. She gazed out across the road to the coastline that it circled around. 

One hand was over the chest of the shirt of her school uniform. It was a habit that Hitomi was doing that more and more often these days when she was upset. 

Yukari had asked her once what she wore under her shirt when she had seen the chain of a necklace. She remembered Hitomi's answer. 

"It's nothing, Yukari. Just forget about it!" Hitomi had said it so intensely that Yukari had backed off despite her unabated curiosity. At school some people had noticed the strange habit and were even teasing Hitomi about it. Not that she responded. 

"What happened, Hitomi?" Yukari demanded, "You've been acting strange for years! I could understand a week or even a month of this, but 3 years? What happened?" Yukari stopped and hugged Hitomi. "Remember, you're my very best friend. You can tell me anything! I'm, sorry for not understanding and not noticing, but…"

Hitomi opened her mouth, than closed it shut with a snap when they passed under the shadow of a huge oak tree that marked the entrance of the bustling small Shop Street. The back road by the pier they had taken suddenly opened up to the busy and cheerfully crowded street the shop they were heading for was on. The coffee shop was right in front of them. It was a cheerful place called, The Colored Parrot, with a patio with trees and a little garden. They spotted Amano and his friend, and hurried over to greet them. Amano waved them over to a small table with a bright sunshade and four chairs around it. They already had ordered some tea, and were just waiting for them.

Amano grinned, "What took you girls so long? You're a shame to the track team!"

"We could beat you any day, Amano!" Yukari grinned back. 

Hitomi's gaze was drawn to the boy that was sitting next to Amano. He was a little shorter than Amano and had bright white silver/ blond hair. His eyes were such a light _pinkish_ that they seemed colorless. There was something about him that Hitomi just couldn't place. 

But something…something was _wrong_. 

Some of her unease slipped to Van, and he sent her a concerned, questioning feeling. The cloud that had been covering the sun drifted away and sunlight fell across the tiny patio and lit up the boy's face and the slash of a scar across his cheek. 

Hitomi was reeling as she sent back a mental image of the boy to Van. She never _ever _had thought to see that face again! 

(A/N: For all of you who haven't guessed yet, doesn't this guy remind you of Dillandua? Maybe you should make a connection ^_^)

Van suddenly erupted in shock and rage! Dillandua had found Hitomi, and he was no where near to protect her! A picture flashed in front of Hitomi's vision, but it wasn't something she could see; it was something she could feel. It was kind of like an ultra-sound picture, almost like echolocation. Hitomi felt a great dragon rear back and let out a cry of rage that went ringing painfully through her mind. She 'felt' its lungs expand and it heart beat in a pulse at its neck and it muscles clench, ready to spring. All the sudden, she was back to the garden.

"Hitomi? HITOMI!"

"Wha-what?" Hitomi replied blankly.

Yukari groaned, "Man, Hitomi, you just kind of spaced out. Amano just said that this was Darien."

"Oh," Hitomi said warily. "Nice to meet you."

Yukari threw Amano an exasperated look and he shrugged. He decided to lead the conversation and pulled out Hitomi's chair and motioned her to sit down.

"Darien is going to the track meet with you this Saturday, Hitomi. Maybe you'll get to watch each other!" Then he turned to Darien, "Hitomi's quite the runner, Darien, you might actually have some competition!" Amano said lightly. Darien gave Amano a little wicked smirk that left him disconcerted, and he fell silent.

Hitomi had been staring like a spooked filly at Darien and had noticed the all too familiar look of insane blood lust and fire in those eyes, but it was gone before she could be sure of what she saw. She shivered. 

Meanwhile Van was getting more and more furious and Hitomi was getting more and more agitated. Her distress was more and more apparent. 

Think your head's going to explode when you get mad or worried? Well, try coping with two heads. 

Finally, Van got enough control to send an image back to her, with it the dragon writhed and coiled in fury. The image was one she was positive she would never see again. It was a red guymelef that was surrounded by fire, know as _Aledisies_. The very image screamed of blood and death and mindless dark rejoicing in killing. 

Hitomi started to tremble in animalistic terror. That's what sent Van over the edge.

"Hitomi, are you okay? You look like you're going to faint!" Yukari broke the flow of conversation worriedly. Hitomi was whiter than chalk and her eyes were huge, with the pupils dilated. She stood up so quickly that her chair crashed over onto its side.

"Sorry," she gasped out and ran back through the restaurant. Hitomi was tripping over herself and everybody else in her frantic attempts to _get away! She had to get away! _She crashed into a waitress, spilling all sorts of dishes to the floor. She didn't even stop to apologize, while indignant cries followed her.

Yukari gave an apologetic look to Amano and Darien. "She's not feeling that well today. I'll go see if she's okay."

"All right," Amano agreed sympathetically. "Should I come with you?"

"No, that's okay, I got it." Yukari was distracted by a sick smile on Darien's face that was gone in a blink of an eye. She shook off the unnerving feeling she got. She had to go find Hitomi. Yukari started to run after Hitomi. 

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Hitomi leaned against the warm red brick of the building hugging her arms to herself like she was going to be ripped apart. 

The sun had just started to set, casting reflections on the water of the Pacific Ocean in the pier. The light made shadows on her face as she tried to calm her breathing. 

She couldn't stop her pulse from racing. She was going to explode! Her head was blasting apart in fireworks! The dragon and his rage were still unleashed! Hitomi was going to fly apart in a million pieces. It was unimaginable pain! Hitomi was in complete agony, and like a trapped animal she looked for an escape. She collapsed to her knees, shaking violently and curled into the tightest ball she could against the white-hot inferno.

__

VAN! Van, help me! Ahhhh! It's going to – It's going to kill me! Van's immediate reaction was frantic panic. This was something that he, a warrior, had no idea how to fight. What could he do? All he _could _do was watch her struggle against the pain his fury had caused. 

_USE THE PENDENT!_ Hitomi screamed with the last of her strength and desperation. 

Then Hitomi felt the colossal war that the dragon had begun in her head suddenly obliterated by a burning white light that was almost as painful. It was like the Gaean doomsday device had just been resurrected and detonated again in her head! She could feel the pendent burning fiercely and the feather hanging around her neck flickered, then flared into an answering flame. Hitomi arched and twisted as Yukari burst through the back door.

"Wha----" Yukari gasped.

The light was outside Hitomi's head now, and through it she saw Van. 

She was Van! He filled her head and senses. There was no individual she and he. She had the power of flight! Hitomi had wings! It was an unbelievable exhilarating strength. Everything was gone except for Van. Just Van.

"Van!" she cried. Van, pendent intensely glowing, huge 20-foot wingspan with sword out and ready, stood before her.

"Hitomi!" he yelled as he reached for, his huge wings pounding the air. The one voice that she would have died to hear one last time! He was here. She threw herself into his arms. He moved as if to catch her…

And she fell right through him.

A/N: Quick, guys! Run to the next chapter!


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Nevermind. I'm sure you just want to read on. R&R!

"NO!" Hitomi felt the denial ripped from her throat.

The light slowly disappeared and Hitomi lay on the cold ground in shock, hugging her knees to her chest, sobbing. 

SO CLOSE! The fullness of Van in her mind was gone, like he had been drained out of her. She felt like someone had taken half of her heart on ripped it away. He was gone. _He was gone!_ She felt like an empty vessel. All alone. 

She was too deep in despair to notice the tiny flicker of flame of Van's presence. 

An endless black hole had consumed her and all her last and feint reserves of hope. What was the use of fighting anymore? He was gone. _He was gone! _

She wished, prayed, hoped, for it to end, for peaceful forgetful oblivion. He was gone. She was so aware, too aware, how could she survive without Van? He was gone. She couldn't hear him! _Why couldn't she hear/feel him?_

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Yukari stood speechless as Amano burst through the door and a came to a screeching stop behind her, with Darien following eagerly behind him.

"Wha-what happened here?" he asked as he surveyed the pitifully weeping Hitomi, who was making horrible low groaning animalistic sounds and Yukari who was in shock. 

Amano reached out to catch Yukari as she dropped in a dead faint. Everyone in coffeehouse was scrambling to see what the light and the scream was. The employee's were going crazy. _Now_ would be a good time to leave. 

He glanced back at Darien. Darien had a mad smile on his face as he watched Hitomi sob. Sick _triumph_ gleamed in his eyes. Amano shook his head vigorously. He was imagining things. He had to get Yukari to wake up so that he could carry Hitomi. Amano was worried about Yukari, naturally, but she looked like she could recover. Hitomi…she was almost …_feral_. 

Yukari eyelids flickered and she stirred in his arms. Then her eyes flew open. She surveyed the scene bemusedly, then--- 

"Hitomi!" she gasped out. 

"Can you walk?" Amano asked, talking quickly before Yukari could get more worked up. "We need to get out of here." Yukari nodded and took a few shaky steps towards Hitomi. 

"Hitomi?"

"She'll be fine, Yukari. We just need to get her out of here." replied Amano to Yukari's unstated question. Darien remained silent, continuing to stare at the trembling form on the ground. 

Amano strode over to Hitomi and picked her up still sobbing. Hitomi was too far-gone to care. She just stayed in her little ball shaking uncontrollably, like she had given up. 

"Amano, …." Yukari faltered and decided that she would not tell Amano what had happened without Hitomi. Besides, she wasn't even sure _she _knew what had just happened. 

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Van's roar of fury echoed terribly in the stone room. The audience chamber reflected back the howl of rage till it clashed with itself in an all out war. 

Allen Shazar, Heavenly Knight of Asturia, flinched and his sister, Selena; once Ziabach elite forces leader Dillandua, paled. The village leader and representatives from Forum froze and looked at the young Fanalian king as if he were mad. He sounded like he was. 

If that wasn't enough to mortify and astonish _everybody _in the room, Van's fists clenched, his back arched and his shirt was ripped to shreds. HUGE Draconian wings tore out from his shoulder blades. All of a sudden room was filled with glowing feathers and ethereal light. 

Before anyone realized it, Van's sword was out and flashing, on guard for an opponent. That was something to worry about. Van's reputation with his sword was lethal. All of Van's fury that was reflected in his red amber eyes was caged into one word.

"DILLANDUA!" Van took into the air. Massive wings powerfully beat the air in a maelstrom of power. Every single speck in the room trembled and shook in awe. 

So _this _was a draconian about to venge his wrath. No wonder they were considered demons. The room seemed to be filled with a silent, but deafening whirlwind that's vortex spun around the infuriated draconian. Van suddenly paled.

"HITOMI!" Van cried in anguish as he dropped his sword as if someone had slapped him. The sword fell the 15 feet to the cold stone floor with a clatter. He ripped something from around his neck. Allen recognized Hitomi's pendent with a jolt. How had he gotten that?

"What the- Van, what do you think you are doing?" Allen yelled, suddenly regaining movement as if slapped. Van didn't seem to hear him. His eyes were closed in intense concentration and the pendent was leaking out light. 

There was a blinding flash and a deafening roar. Van's eyes snapped open and he jumped foreword as if to catch someone. They saw for the briefest moment the outline of someone wasn't there. 

Van stiffened in shock, his midnight black hair wild around his face. For one moment he was suspended in midair 15 feet above the throne room floor, then he plummeted headfirst, as if in slow motion, to the ground where he crashed and lay limp.

"Van!" Allen yelled as he ran to where Van lay, unmoving. Even in unconsciousness, Allen could see the tears that soaked Van's face and red tunic. His wings, which were a stark proud reminder of his heritage, slowly shrank into nothing.

Selena crumpled and put her head on her knees. Did he say _Dillandua?_ Oh no, oh no. He _couldn't _have meant _her_. 

Someone had called for a healer. An older brunette woman with bright eyes came running into the huge chamber of frozen, shocked people. A Catgirl came running after her crying; 'Lord Van!' over and over, but the woman turned and threw Merle out of the room. 

She quickly scanned the room and found the unconscious king. The healer ran over to him and fell to her knees beside him. Blue light formed in her hands and she quickly sent it flowing over Lord Van. 

When the blue light touched him, the woman gasped and drew back with a look of fear on her face, but quickly regained her composure. _Minuets_ later Van, wingless, shirtless, and swordless sat up with his head in his hands.

"I—thank you, Lady. You're Aronic, the healer," said a slightly absent-minded Van in recognition and respect to the tiniest woman he had ever seen. She couldn't have been much taller than a ghealn, almost as tall as Merle when she was 13. He, himself, had never seen the legendary healer, but her reputation proceeded her. It was rumored that she was the only one who could produce _Cry'tan, _a strange healing light. Allen had said something about being approached by the reputed woman and her asking to accompany him on his ambassador trip to Fanalia. 

"Your Majesty, I have no idea _what_ you were trying to do, but I would _suggest _that you desist!" Aronic scolded in a tone that said she wasn't suggesting anything. Van gave her a weak little grin. Not many people spoke like that to the ruler of such an influential country. This Lady obviously was not afraid to speak her mind. 

The after affects from the healing were keeping him from realizing why he was on the hard stone floor of the Audience room with a headache.

"And, King, the girl on the other side of your mind is a wreck, you almost killed her!" Lady Aronic rebuked. Van's eyes snapped open wide as he stared and Allen's mouth fell open. 

"What?" Allen whirled to look at Van

"Hitomi!" Van cried, as the blood abruptly drained from his face. He focused quickly on Healer Aronic, "How did you…is she all right?"

"Of course she isn't _all right_!" the healer snapped. " You almost killed her! And what was that you were doing with her? When I healed you, I saw a strange world with massive structures and an ocean, 3 people in strange clothing, and," she yelped, "There was no Mystic Moon in the sky!" 

The king in Van surfaced, recognizing dangerous talk when he heard it. Van had to know what this woman knew, anything could be turned against Fanalia's peace as a weapon. He glared at the soldiers, discreetly hidden, but still surrounding the Audience room and barked, "Out!"

" Village Leader Kearron, would you please accept our apologies and hospitality for one more day? Good." Van addressed the representative he had been in conference with. "The captain of the guard will show you to your rooms. Lady Aronic, Allen, Selena, come with me." Van strode out of the great hall.

"Now that," Allen said following in Van's wake, "is a king!" 

…………………………………………………..

Hope you guys like it! I can't wait to get the next chapter up! I'll see you there, even sooner if you review!


	4. chapter 4

Allen, Selena and Aronic hurried after Van, passing the barracks quickly. He led them through the New Castle to a corner in the back garden by the barracks. The corner was tilted just so that it could fit about 3 people comfortably, and even though the people inside had a perfect view of the back gardens and courtyard, but nobody could see in unless they were looking for it. Van had built it himself, taking a private "sick day" with nobody realizing he was not in bed. 

"Well, Your Majesty?"

"Van, Lady Aronic."

"Aronic," The healer said stubbornly. Van managed another weak grin.

Van considered then rushed into an explanation, "Three years ago, when I went to perform the right to become king by dragon slaying…" Van told Aronic what really happened during the Great War. "And then I had to send Hitomi back. How did you know? I've never told…any information can be used against Fanalia's peace," he concluded. 

Selena was staring at Van and Allen couldn't seem to meet his eyes. This was the first time they had ever heard him speak about the Great War, and this was the first time they considered that maybe there was more to winning the war than they had suspected. Aronic stared at him with her large brown eyes wide, then gave herself a visible mental slap. 

"All right, so your love, this Hitomi was sent home. Then what? What just happened in the great hall?" Aronic asked with innocent, but characteristic bluntness. Van's whole face flushed a deep red. He had _not _mentioned how he and Hitomi felt for each other.

"Well, it's obvious. I'm not stupid." Retorted the healer to Van who had now turned a deep mauve. Allen smirked, sure Van was going to pop a blood vessel. 

"Somehow Dillandua found Hitomi. I don't know how. Something happened in our heads snapped / exploded. I can't explain…the bridge—that connected Gaea to Earth...no, that connected Hitomi to me, was broken. Somehow it hurt Hitomi. She was…it was like Gaea was pulling her one way, and Mystic Moon was pulling her back." Selena had backed up a step with a quick intake of breath when Van had mentioned Dillandua. 

Allen noticed and said icily "Of course, it wasn't Dillandua, since Selena is here and not on the Mystic Moon."

"It was Dillandua," Van shook his head, sure of himself. " But different. It wasn't Selena, but it was Dillandua."

"So let me get this strait, Your—Van. This Hitomi and you are on different worlds, but you love each other. (Van flinched)" Aronic paused. "I think--- this love is different. It's too strong! You won't _ever _forget or move on to someone else, because there _is _no one else. Which could turn out to be a dilemma, considering somehow, Your majesty, you have to have an heir, and probably a political marriage." Van growled warningly, but Lady Aronic continued.

"It's just too powerful. You are literally the other half of each other. No one can live a half a person, and you can't forget, so this love is killing you both. It's set off the balance between the worlds, but Hitomi's power sets off the balance to _any _world so she can't stay here. It would mean catastrophe!

There's something about this girl. She's way too powerful to be a--- a human. But she is. She can change the future to _anything_. She can call or change _anything _to her will without realizing it. Her, and your, power is activated by your will. You won't be separated for long! You cannot lie about your will and you both want to be together. _And, _to top it all, this off balance must have resurrected you enemy, Dillandua, who should _not_ be able to be subject to necromancy. Unless there is a HUGE new force we have to deal with, ten times worse than Dornkirk!" Aronic concluded. 

By then Allen, Selena and Van were staring and had concluded that Aronic was _extremely _quick. It didn't occur to Van to question how quickly Aronic accepted such a bizarre story and concluded some details that he was _sure_ he hadn't mentioned. 

"Van," Allen asked blandly "Hitomi told you? You can talk to her?" Van looked sheepish and nodded. "Yes, but---" 

"But what?" Selena inquired. She and Van had forged a special friendship because they were both veterans from the war. Sometimes you didn't need to use words to understand someone else. 

Van looked up at the stones of the foundation of the small terrace they were speaking in. A bird suddenly started and flew away from its nest nestled halfway up the cobblestones, dislodging a rock from the wall. With a seemingly easy-motion, Van snatched the stone out of the air as it fell.

"I can hardly feel her. It's like a fire that's faded into a tiny spark. Empty. Drained." He said in grim alarm. " The connection between her and Gaea (and me) is broken." As if in afterthought, he added quietly, "She wishes that she would die." 

He turned his head away and his fists clenched. They heard a crack and Van opened his hand. The dust that once was a stone fell to the ground and blew away. 

"I'm not surprised," said Aronic. "We have some work to do" _How could anyone break a connection that strong? Well…whoever has that kind of power won't keep quiet for long._


	5. chapter 5

Welcome to my 5th chapter! Please keep reading, then PLEASE write me a review!

Oh, BTW, I don't own anything about Escaflowne *sob * 

………………………………………………………

Hitomi blinked blearily as she slowly regained consciousness. Her head hurt! She slowly looked around her. Hitomi was in a light room literally littered with all sorts of flowers. A white wicker chair and desk stood by the bed, and a brightly colored summer bed spread. It was way too bright and cheerful to be her room. 

Hitomi recognized Yukari's room. She noticed Yukari asleep on the desk next to the bed that she was in. Hitomi glanced at the alarm clock that Yukari's hand almost covered. 5:30. Am? How long had she been here? Hitomi hoped her parents knew where she was, not that they saw each other that much. Hitomi didn't want them to worry. She sill loved her family…they just…weren't a big part of her life anymore. Not like anybody was a huge part in her life anymore. Accept Van. She bolted upright.

Hitomi suddenly remembered what had transpired and franticly tried to find Van in her mind. He was gone! Hitomi moaned in despair. 

"He's gone. _He's gone." _she sobbed. She curled up in a little ball in the bed, and tried to stifle low sobs. Why wouldn't she just die? It would be kinder just for someone to kill her! The one reason why she lived had been taken away. _He's gone! _

Why had she ever left Gaea? No one needed her here, like she had thought. Why had she ever left? What a cruel joke. Why couldn't she just stop loving him? It would hurt less, but how could she let go of him? What a cruel joke. 

What little part of her that she had kept over the last 3 years was gone. Hitomi kept crying over and over, "He's gone, _he's gone!" _aware of what she was doing but unable to stop herself. She pounded the pillow and let out a low scream. 

Yukari woke with a startled jerk, "What's wrong , Hitomi?" She got up and shook her in concern. Hitomi flung her arms around Yukari and gripped her as hard as she could as if Yukari was the only lifeline keeping her from insanity. 

"Who's gone, Hitomi?" Hitomi gasped for air, choked. Van was gone. Complete separation. _Who was gone? Yeah right! Like Yukari had any idea! _

Yukari became more concerned, bringing a flood of questions. "Hitomi, who was that boy? What happened yesterday? Who's gone?!" Hitomi broke off mid-sob; she stiffened and held herself completely silent. _That's right. Yukari _doesn't_ have any idea. It's dangerous for her to know!_

"What's the point? Leave it alone, Yukari. It doesn't matter. He's gone." Hitomi answered in a flat, exhausted voice. She let go of Yukari and turned her back, hugging her knees to her chest, wishing that she would die. It would be the simple way out. How could she ache so terribly for someone when she was dead?

"Don't even try that Hitomi! I remember what I saw, but I'd like an explanation!" Hitomi sighed and said with sorrow, 

"Don't ask me. Leave me alone." Yukari couldn't believe what she was hearing. Before Hitomi could stop her, Yukari raised her hand and soundly slapped Hitomi's cheek. Hitomi rose up, one side of her face red and stinging, the other deathly pale, infuriated.

"How could you understand!?" she screamed. "Don't you understand? There's no point! _He's_ _gone!" _Hitomi let out a long scream that came strait from her gut into the pillow on the bed. She looked up furiously at the pale pallor of Yukari's skin. Suddenly all of the anger rushed out of her. After all, Yukari still had reason to live. Didn't she deserve an explanation? _Dangerous or not, what do I care?_ Hitomi thought. _I'm going to be dead soon anyway. I just can't--_

Hitomi said again, in a barely audible, exhausted voice,"Yukari, I can't tell you everything, because that would put you in danger, and I don't want to do that." 

Yukari waited expectantly. She wasn't going to give up. 

Hitomi continued. "That day---the day when you remember the light on the track, well something happened to me. You could say an out of world experience." Hitomi managed a weak grin at the irony of her words. 

How could she explain this to Yukari, but then, how could she not? Since Hitomi had lived that fateful day over again, would Yukari remember the first time, when Van had slain the dragon? Or the second time, with the Escafowne? It was so confusing!

"There was a war…I was changed. That guy, he—" Hitomi faltered, choked by unshed tears.

"Yeah, I'd like to hear about the guy, Hitomi. You know, _the one with wings!_" Yukari's voice rose to a shrill note. It was easy to tell she was at the end of her nerves. Hitomi cringed.

"Ah, that was…he was…that was Van. Ah, King Van, I guess. That depends on Fanalia. But his wings…they're…ah…a birthright, from the Draconians." 

Hitomi reached down the collar of her shirt and pulled out a necklace, but instead of a locket, a huge brilliant white feather hung from it glowing faintly. _So that was what Hitomi had hidden under her shirt_, Yukari thought faintly.

"This is Van's." Hitomi said softly. While she looked at the feather, her expression cleared. Her eyes brightened and became soft and peaceful. She seemed captivated by the softly glowing luminescence. Hitomi tore her eyes from the feather. It looked like she was trying to rip her own skin off.

Yukari looked uncertainly at Hitomi's sober face. Yukari wasn't sure she believed Hitomi, but it all fit too well. What was a Draconian? Fanalia?

Wait…whenever Hitomi would touch her hand to her chest, she was touching the feather. When she would speak to seemingly no one at all she was talking to that guy! Those times where she stared off into space for hours, ignoring everyone else, speaking in a language Yukari had never even heard of! 

Why Hitomi had changed, and why she didn't want a boyfriend, and why she had pushed every one away! It all made a strange sort of sense! And wait! _King _Van?

"You're in love with him!" Yukari accused, awestruck, as she realized the fact. She paled and reached for Hitomi. "Oh Hitomi, I'm so sorry. What have you gotten yourself into?" Yukari suddenly remembered what Hitomi had been crying in her sleep, "He's gone, He's gone." She repeated shocked, "What have you gotten yourself into, Hitomi?" 

Yukari remembered one time when she and Hitomi had a history class to complete just before the end of last semester. The history teacher had been carrying on monotonously about Newton's laws and principles, when all of a sudden Hitomi stood up in the back of the class. (A/N : Flashback)

"Miss Kanzaki? Kanzaki? Is there something you need? Miss Kanzaki!" Hitomi ignored him and walked slowly down to the floor of the classroom. 

She completely ignored the stares of classmates following her. A few people even stood up to get a better look. The teacher gaped as Hitomi suddenly stopped and held out her hand above her head as if she were going to press it against a glass. 

A small gust of wind (in the middle of a classroom?) blew her hair and her hand gripped. She whispered something, than let her hand fall to her side. 

She snapped her head up, seeing all eyes staring at her, she flushed and gave a small bow to the teacher and walked past him, and out the door in the middle of class! Yukari overheard some girls later talking.

"She's always been strange, but I've never seen her do anything that weird!"

"Don't you remember? She's a psychic! Remember when she did all of those really cool tarot readings that all came true? She's supposed to be like that! She's just more in tune with the other world than we are," the girl giggled. 

Yukari had been astonished and mortified at the time but…if you added the other half to the scene---a boy with wings that only Hitomi could see, that she was reaching out to; oblivious to everyone else. First holding their hands flat against each other; like they were trying to reach each other through a glass, then breaking the glass and gripping each other's hands. And even, if a downbeat from a pair a wings was added that blew over Hitomi and _only_ Hitomi…

"It's safer if you didn't know, Yukari. You and Amano need to be safe from my war. And _never ever _go near that "Darien" again! Stay away from him!" Hitomi ordered Yukari venomously as she tried to get out of bed. "It's _my_ war, not yours, Yukari!" Hitomi didn't mean to sound so harsh, but she was worried for her friend and couldn't believe she was telling anyone about this. 

No one was supposed to know anything. She had been so quiet and so lonely for so long. When she saw the look on Yukari's face she reached over to give her a fierce hug.

"I'm so sorry, Yukari! You're my very best friend and I'm worried about you! You've got to believe me. I love him and he's gone, and it's so hard!" Hitomi blurted as her nerves collapsed. 

"All right," Yukari conceded. "But I have one question."

"Go ahead."

"What _was _that flying metal dragon thingy?" Hitomi blushed.

"Oh. That was the Escaflowne. Don't ask. But, it really was a giant flying metal dragon." Hitomi said in wearily. Yukari helped Hitomi out of bed, and she winced as she took a few shaky steps towards the door. 

………………………………………………………………………………..

"What happened, Hitomi? You look terrible!" Amano exclaimed.

"Jeez, Amano." Yukari sighed theatrically, covering up and thinking quickly. 

"I thought you knew! Hitomi has fainting spells. She ran out because she had to faint and then when Hitomi did she accidentally hit a loose light. It was broken and shocked her so she got scared and screamed. The light flashed and then went out." Yukari sounded exasperated, but when Hitomi caught her eye she winked.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you Amano, but I get a little worked up," Hitomi lied innocently, staring down at her hands. Amano looked a little disconcerted.

"Oh. I could have sworn I saw some with---your going to think this is ridiculous, but I saw this guy and he had wings." Yukari giggled and Hitomi gave a tiny strained smile. 

" The light probably gave you that illusion," Hitomi said seriously. "Yukari, I need to get home, my parents are probably very worried. Oh, by the way what happened to Darien?" Hitomi asked impassively.

Amano answered her, "He wanted to stay, but he said he had important things he needed to do." Hitomi's vague unease solidified into fear. 

__

I don't know what he's up to, but I have a bad feeling about this. 

Thanks for reading! Run to the next chapter!


	6. chapter 6

Thanks for coming to my next chapter! Hope you guys like it! I'll be waiting to hear from you when you review!

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Van was too proud to break down if front of anybody. He waited till he was alone to collapse in his room. 

The large fireplace lay cold, dark and empty. The whole room was cold and dark. Van could hardly make out the darker shadow the were a bed, a desk, and a soldier frame, all extremely untidy most of the time. 

He opened the back door out of his room and vaulted himself on the roof. Van always went there to be alone; no one would bother him there. This side of the castle faced the old gates to Fanalia and on the darkening horizon he could just see the sun glinting of the sea. 

Van pressed his forehead against his knees. Memories wracked him of when Fanalia had been destroyed. Ziabach had attacked from those gates. Hitomi had been with him then, but he had ignored her, even though she had just saved him. He felt so arrogant and stupid. What Hitomi must of thought of him back then! Van grinned a little. Maybe she had been to busy chasing Merle…

Hitomi.

She left him alone! It was all her fault! Whose idea of a cruel joke was this? To have her _in his head_, but to still be worlds apart! To be in her head, as she thought she was alone, had no idea that he was there with her. _To hear her wishing to die and not being able to do anything about it! _

Why couldn't he forget about her? Why wouldn't she just ---- _leave him alone! _Hot, bitter tears soaked Van's shirt. The sword he wore jabbed painfully into his side and he grit his teeth. A warrior, crying. How pitiful. 

He gazed up at the Mystic Moon. He didn't understand why or how he loved Hitomi. But he did. He didn't even mean to ask for her love! It was an accident. Or was it? 

Van's shoulders rose and fell as he heaved a sigh. No, it wasn't just some kind of coincident or accident. But what was it? It didn't matter. The dragon was asleep again. Hitomi's flame was growing every second. The young king spent the hours till dawn on the roof of the castle brooding. 

………………………………………………………………………………………….

Selena found him sitting on the roof of his room. Very clever. _No one _would find him there. It was just lucky that she had chanced to look up when searching for him. She watched him for awhile, but Van remained as still and impassive as rock, and just about as hard. 

He was always gazing into the distance brooding. More frequently in the last few months then after the Great War. He was way too withdrawn and quiet then he should be, staring at the same spot for hours. 

Allen had said that that was Van's nature, to be withdrawn. But when he got angry there was only one thing you could do---- run. Run _really _fast. 

"Clever. No one but me could find you here, knife friend," Selena spoke up and set Van jumping. 

Selena had named Van her knife friend, a Asturian warrior's tradition, meaning that they were at each other's back always and your knife was their own and vise versa. They both knew war. They both understood. No matter _what _Allen thought, and however close they were they were not romantically interested. Selena never understood about Hitomi, but knew how to deal with Van.

"How did you find me?" Van asked.

"I just know you way to well," Selena retorted. Then, "You going to tell me why your up here?" 

"Probably," Van said dryly. 

"Well?" 

Van hesitated, annoyed, "If you were a man, I would beat you to a pulp."

"But, I'm not," Selena pointed out the obvious. 

Van sighed, "I know----" He paused and looked out at the almost rebuilt city. "I almost killed her, Selena." Van shook his head and look far away to a place Selena couldn't see. 

"She was in agony, and I felt every damn second of it. Dillandua is going to kill her and I can't do anything about it. All I can do is watch through her head, her fear, her pain, while he finds her and kills her, if she doesn't kill herself first. It would kill me too." Selena paled and steadied her self with one hand on the shingles of the roof, but Van wasn't done yet.

"I can't bring her here to save her, because she's to powerful to be alive," Van spat bitterly. "We can't live without being on the same world because it tears us apart. So even if Dillandua didn't kill her, we would die anyway." 

__

And loving her hurts, Van thought_._ "And on top of that we have someone even stronger than Dornkirk to deal with," Van snarled. Selena blinked. In three years she had _never _heard that many words from Van. Ten times more emotion, too. Van must be a lot more worked up than he led them to believe. It was that girl. Just the memory of her, affected the Van _she_ knew in strange ways. What had Van told her brother? That they _talked_ to each other? 

"Well, Highness, in that case I challenge you to a mortal combat." Selena said matter-of-factly. 

"What?" Van asked incredulously. 

"Well, you obviously need to beat someone to a pulp," Selena said succinctly. 


	7. chapter 7

Thanks for reading! Thanks for reviewing! Let's see more of both! ^_^

She looked coldly over the kneeling forms below her in disgust. They were a shame to the draconian heritage. 2000 years ago they would have been killed on the spot, but these were different times and they could be useful. 

"Rianne, we will do _anything _to attain entrance into the Hidden Valley of Atlantis," the female begged. 

Rianne, highest ruler of the last of the Draconian race, stiffened in fury. The very _idea_ of letting these quarter bloods into the sacred place of the last Draconians, was inconceivable. She motioned to the female to step forward. The quarter-blood was very pretty, with huge blue eyes and sunshine blond hair, just maybe pretty enough.

"What is your name?" Rianne asked. 

The girl glanced up hopefully and answered, "Serena, Highest." 

"And you?" she asked the male.

"Riven," he answered quietly. 

"Let me get this strait," Rianne voiced icily. "You are twins, the son and daughter of a half breed draconian and a _mortal _and you want entrance to the Hidden Valley. And on top of that, your mother was the daughter of the banished _Fain' arine_, whose name isn't even spoken?" The nerve of these filthy children. She had banished Attolia, that engagingly rebellious girl and her sister, Vari, after they had received a disturbing prophecy from the eldest Draconian oracle. And these---these half-breeds were born in accordance to that prophecy. With them in her power it would be easy to kill them, once they had made themselves useful of course. That would throw that prophecy back into that gloating old women's teeth!

"We are true draconian citizens! Would you blame us for our Grandmother's misdeeds?" cried 'Serena.' With a strangled cry, her pathetic wings ripped the back of her shirt as she arched up, narrowly missing Rianne. Didn't these filthy bloods have any modesty? 

"Get your _wings_ out of my site!" Rianne snarled. Serena backed away like a frightened puppy and her wings slowly shrank to nothing. 

"You two are lucky that I have a job for you, but be assured that if you do fail, I will make sure you are slaves to men for the rest of your lives!" Rianne said, her voice dipping with scorn. Riven glanced up sharply.

"Job?" He inquired quietly.

"You are going to destroy Gaea. And Gaea's destruction lays in the young King of Fanalia."

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Merle blinked in surprise. Did that bush just make a noise? There it was again! It was like a cub crying! Merle cautiously crept over to the prickly shrub. 

When her she was a few inches from it, it emitted another keening cry. She yowled in surprise and leaped up the nearest tree. Slowly she came down again, and peered into the branches of the bush.

"It's only a baby!" she exclaimed. A little toddler about 10 months old looked back at her through the branches. 

It was the strangest baby she had ever seen. It wasn't human, but then it wasn't like her either. Small cat ears poked out of a human head of brown curly hair. Though his body was mostly human, his eyes were slitted like a cat's, and look! He had a tail, just like her. 

Well, what should she do with him? She couldn't just leave him here! Merle decided derisively that she would take him with her. Why not? He looked so small and vulnerable. 

She pulled him gently from under the thorn bush, careful not to scratch him.

What was the harm? It was obvious that no one wanted him. If they did, why would they leave him in a bush? Merle waved at him to get his attention, tickling his irresistibly cute soft cheeks. She pointed to her self and slowly said "Merle." Then she pointed at him. He looked confused for a minuet, but then gave her a dimpled smile as he caught on.

"Ke-men. Kemen." He told her just as slowly, waving a delighted fist in the air. Merle grinned happily. She sang softly to 'Kemen' (what a strange name!) as she made a sling out of the cloth of her mantle and tied it around her neck. She placed Kemen cautiously in the sling, then bounded off. As soon as she finished her errand, she would go show Lord Van! 

……………………………………………………………

"What?"

"I said that I adopted a baby, Lord Van!" Merle exclaimed happily. "Weren't you listening?"

"You _what?_" 

Merle snorted and pulled the bundle from her neck. In the thick blanket, Van could see a small toddler's face who couldn't be more than 12 months old. 

At first, Van thought he was looking at a human child, but then he noticed at small cat ears and eyes. For a long minuet Van was unable to speak. 

Finally he groaned, "Merle…" At fifteen, Merle was no different than before the Great War. "What the…" Van stopped and reconsidered. "Where is his mother?" 

"I don't know! I found him under a bush, in the forest surrounding the castle! He _can't _have a mother! If he did why would she leave him in a bush? I couldn't just _leave_ him there!" Merle pleaded, her eyes huge and her lips trembling. "Lord Van, you _know _what it's like not to have any family. But Balgus took care of you! Can't we do the same for him?" All Van's protests died before he spoke them. 

He did know what it was like to be completely alone, all too well. His subjects were his responsibility; he could not turn this boy away. 

"Merle, this boy will be a huge responsibility…" Van tried half-heartedly.

"I _know, _Lord Van! He won't be any harder to take care of than _you _were! Honesty, your clothes were soaked more than half the time!" Merle happily brought the baby out of his sling and snuggled him against her cheek. 

For an instant Van's eyes met and held the little boy's. He stood transfixed. The toddler's gaze was uncannily intense, and direct, and…_aware._ Van wondered again _what_ he had gotten himself into. Great. Just what he needed.


	8. chapter 8

Prince Chid, the Duchy of Fried stared at the messenger in fascination.

"What?" He asked incredulously. 

"My Lord, the Dryden Embassy, accompanied by the Princess Millerna and Queen Eris, requests to see you."

"See them in at once!" Chid commanded. Was it just coincidence that Aunt Millerna and Aunt Eris would come now? With the Dryden Embassy, no less. 

Chid sat down cross-legged lightly on the large velvet pillow at the end of the hall in the Audience Chamber. 

"Queen Eris Aston of Asturia, and her sister, Princess Millerna Sara Aston!" announced the messenger. 

Chid was delighted to see Aunt Millerna and Aunt Eris again. Eris glided forward and swept gracefully to kneel on the lush expensive rug the led from the throne to the end of the chamber. Millerna strode to her sister's side on bent down beside her. 

"It's wonderful to see you again, Chid! You have grown so much!" Millerna smiled at her 9-year-old nephew. 

"Greetings, Aunt Millerna! Fried is honored by your presence." Chid nodded to Queen Eris. "I assume that this is more than just a visit. Would you like to move into a more comfortable room to discuss?"

"Aren't you forgetting about someone, Your Highness?" The owner of the voice stepped out of the shadows at the end of the hall. 

"Merchant Dryden! Of course you are more than welcome to join us!" Chid grinned. "Please follow me." He stood up and exited the Audience room, assuming the others would follow. 

Millerna glanced back at Dryden, rolled her eyes and muttered something, then stood and trailed after the young Duchy. Queen Eris shot Dryden an exasperated look. 

"What? Is it my fault I'm dark, mysterious and charming?" A small smile tugged at the edge of Eris mouth, but she hid it as she stood gracefully and swept out of the room. Dryden followed behind muttering.

……………………………………………………………………………………..

"When you told me you would send a Diplomat, I did not expect that the Queen and the Princess…" Dryden coughed. 

Chid smiled again. "And, of course, the esteemed Merchant Dryden would appear a fortnight later, with no formal warning. Are matters more serious than I had anticipated?" Chid asked worriedly. 

Dryden spoke first. "More than serious, Your Highness. Tensions are reaching the breaking point and rising to catastrophic. More attacks have proceeded. It's all Asturia can accomplish just to keep Fanalia from being accused outright."

"What does King Van say?" Chid inquired. "I cannot believe that he is instigating these attacks. After all the work he put into our peace treaty, why would he work to destroy it?"

"He might not necessarily be instigating these attacks. There might be a terrorist group in his country that he is not aware of." Eris pointed out delicately. 

Dryden snorted. "Not the Van we know. I can't believe there's something in his little country that he doesn't know." 

"There are rumors that the mysterious soldiers wear Ziabach arms." Chid said grimly. 

"Nonsense. The Ziabach Empire fell to pieces after the Great War."

"Whether it was Ziabach or not, innocent citizens are still getting hurt! It doesn't matter who attacked them right now! Innocent people are loosing loved ones, homes, food, with no medical care!" Millerna interrupted. 

"Aunt Millerna, we cannot predict when the renegades will attack again. All we can do is send aid to the remains of the villages. Our army is not big enough to cover all the small villages in the country, especially since the treaty, armed forces have been limited. I cannot believe that the attacks have nothing behind them but angry supporters of Ziabach. The only way to stop these attacks is to stop it at its source," Chid announced, his young voice small but confident, a clue at what a strong leader he was growing to be. 

"Don't you think it's a little conspicuous that Fanalia is the only country who hasn't been attacked? And as far as we know Van isn't even aware of the attacks on Asturia and Fried," Dryden pointed out.

"We cannot come to conclusions yet, Merchant Dryden." Chid said, his small shoulders sagging.

"This is ridiculous! We all know that Van wants peace! We _know _him!" Millerna cried in frustration. "And while we talk more people are getting hurt!"

"Hush, Millerna!" Eris tried to quiet her with a quelling look. 

"Wait. Aunt Millerna is correct. I feel terrible at the innocents caught in a fresh conflict, directly after they were promised peace. What do you propose we do, Aunt Millerna?" Chid asked.

"I have an idea," Dryden said. "Why doesn't the Princess take charge of a hospital that moves from village to village, providing aid and food? She has experience in this area." Dryden grinned. Millerna shot Dryden an unsure look. 

"I-don't know…"

"I think it's an excellent idea." Eris cut in smoothly. "But first…we must send a message to Fanalia—." 

"Wait," Dryden cut in. "I think that we should travel to Fanalia to tell Van ourselves. This is too important to be intercepted." 


	9. chapter 9

Hi readers! I'm sorry if the chapters seem a little disjointed. I had to break the up a bit strangely. Please bear with me, and try not to get too confused! ^_^ 

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As soon as she was out of sight from Yukari's house, Hitomi broke into a frantic, ground-eating run. Even though trees and houses blurred by she still didn't run fast enough to outdistance her thoughts. 

She pushed her legs harder and harder, and her pulse and breath beat faster and faster. She _had_ to get home, _now._

Dillandua was back. And Van…Van wasn't here to protect her---or her family.

Ziabach had used hostages before to gain Hitomi's power. What would stop Dillandua from doing it again? 

Hitomi remembered when Ziabach had offered newly wed Millerna and Dryden an irrefutable choice, 'either give us Hitomi Kanzaki or we destroy all of Asturia.' The destruction there was all her fault. All those people who had lost loved ones, those children she had seen Merle play with, had lost their homes and their families…how could she have been so insensitive and stuck up?

Which ultimately led to the fact that everything during the War and after; her family, friends, people she knew and people she didn't, entire countries were her responsibility---and the destruction left behind…was her fault. All of those lives were affected by her choices. 

And in the end, the things that had happened…were her fault. Balgus death, Allen's wounds, Millerna's marriage, Folken's death, Naria and Eyria's death, all the people from Freid, Asturia, Fanalia, all the men who died during the war and Van...Van's wounds. How close Van had been to death. Hitomi remembered going _into_ death, just like the doppelganger, and bringing Van back. She had been so close to loosing him. So close…and it was her fault. 

In the end, the very end, it was all her fault. The result of her misguided wishes.

How could she have been so self-centered? 

Hitomi ran harder, punishing, pushing herself, and trying to escape the terrible racking guilt and self-disgust. God, she hated herself. 

How could she have become so self-absorbed without even realizing it? Her family and friends cared about her and were worried about her, but she had ignored them and pushed them all away. Poor Yukari and Amano. She didn't deserve friends like them. Hitomi had pushed them away, _lied_ to them for years, and because of that, Dillandua was going to get them. And her family? She had lied to them, been so absorbed in her own grief----how was it fair that _they_ were going to pay for what she had done? Hitomi had set Dillandua, a murderer, on her family and her friends and it was all her fault. 

How many people hand lost loved ones, especially in the war _she_ instigated in Gaea? Wasn't it because Dornkirk had wanted her power that he had attack so many innocent people? Had they just refuse to function, when they had lost everything? No! She had watched them help to rebuild everything and start again! And Van? Just because she had left him, did he ignore Fanalia? The small glimpses she had seem during her visions showed her Fanalia being rebuilt even better than before, more beautiful than before. 

Would she want Van to put her before his country? No! She loved Fanalia and she had a duty to protect it! Even if it meant facing Dillandua alone! Even… Hitomi's thought broke, shattered by unshed tears that held a death-grip on her chest. 

Even…even if it meant letting go of Van.

It was terrible, what she was doing to him. If she really loved him, she should be able…able to…able to let him go! So he could find someone else from his world, who could love him… Hitomi's heart screamed it's denial, but she ignored it. 

Right now she was glad for the numb feeling in her gut. He wasn't in her head anymore. She couldn't feel him at the back of her mind. She didn't think she could bear the thought of hearing the echoes from his head when---when he found…found someone else. 

But his happiness went before hers. Seeing him happy would be worth anything, right?

Hitomi was surprise when time suddenly snapped into place. The sudden collision felt like she had slammed into a brick wall. She couldn't get any air into her lungs and her head struck the ground hard. She blinked to clear her fuzzy vision and gasped. Hitomi had forgotten that she had been running, so hard had she been trying to punish herself. 

"Van?" The dark blur shook his head.

"Miss Kanzaki? Hitomi?" The voice became more urgent as her eyelids fluttered down. "Hitomi!" A hand quickly pressed hard into her chest. Hitomi's eyes flew open wide and her breath whooshed in. She sat up slowly her shoulder heaving, straining to bring in as much new air as fast as she possibly could, coughing and choking. Hitomi looked up tearfully into her rescuer's face.

"Aoki?" She gasped out in surprise. It was her brother, Hajime's, best friend; a few years younger than her with huge chocolate brown eyes and spiky hair the same color. Yukari had pointed out to her once that Aoki seemed to worship the ground that Hitomi walked on.

"All you all-right, Hitomi?" Aoki said, concerned. "I just walked across the road, and I guess you weren't looking where you were going and ran into me. I've never seen anyone run that fast! It felt like a car had hit me!" He noticed her face and shirt (which was still heaving) were soaked through and more crystal-clear moisture was still dripping from Hitomi's eyes. 

"Hitomi, what's wrong? You're crying!" Hitomi brought her hand to her face and was shocked to find cold, salty tears drenching her skin. She stared at her hand. She hadn't even noticed she was crying. 

Hitomi glanced around her and to her surprise she found herself across the street from her home. She glanced at her watch. It had taken her 6 minuets and 17 seconds to run all the way from Yukari's house. Her house was a 15-minuet drive from Hitomi's. No wonder she felt like she was going to collapse! She didn't believe it! Was that even possible? No her watch must be wrong. It felt like she was breathing under mud. Every muscle screamed in pain. 

Wait… and elusive thought tugged at the corner of her mind, but when she tried to grasp it, it slipped out of her fingers like water. Almost…

"Aoki!" She panted.

"Yes?" 

"Were---you---with---my brother?" Aoki nodded confused.

"I just left. Someone knocked at your door and I assumed it was an important guest, so I left as quietly as I could. I'm sorry—" 

She interrupted him, her face had lost all color, "Did you---see him?"

"Well, he can't have been Japanese, that's why I assumed he was important. His hair was lighter than any American I've ever seen!" 

A scant 30 seconds ago, Hitomi was positive she couldn't move a finger, but now adrenaline coursed though her and she shot passed Aoki towards her house. A shocked Aoki turned and shouted, "Wait!" and sprinted after her. 

Hitomi burst through the front door, coughed and jerked back. The house was filled with smoke and ash! She pulled her shirt up to cover her nose and mouth, and bolted through the house.

"Mother! Hajime? Papa! Answer me!" She frantically ran from room to room. Her brother wasn't in his room, her mother wasn't in her room, and no one was in the kitchen. 

She finally turned to her room. Hitomi lifted her hand to the door and snatched it back. The wood was hot to the touch! She took a deep breath, braced herself and sent her shoulder crashing against the door. 

She stumbled into her room and choked on the swirling ash. A tarot card blew past her face. Hitomi glimpsed the card of destruction, and then she saw _him_.

He was standing in front of her bed, facing her, grinning sickeningly, muttering _'burn, burn, burn' _to the growing blaze. 


	10. chapter 10

Hey, my faithful readers! Sorry about that cliffhanger! Please keep reading!

…………………………………………

Kemen's eyes shot open, startling Merle to death. She was _sure_ that he had been fast asleep. 

His eyes focused on hers and he said in soft child's whisper, "Soon. She's coming soon. Tell him." And as if nothing had even happened he smiled and looked absently out the window, waving at the birds. 

Merle stood fixed, then let out a yelp when she saw something fall from Kemen's arm. She picked it up. It was a scale, an iridescent scale. In a daze, she caught his arm and turn it. A small path of the shiny scales led up his arm and ended at his flicking cat's ear. But his ear was loosing the fuzz that covered it and small scales were under the peach fur. 

Merle repeated softly to herself, "Soon. She's coming soon. Tell him." Kemen could talk. And he had just warned her. 

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Van stood, examining the wreckage left behind. This new project had been Allen's idea. 

He was trying to build a canal that connected to an Asturian port, so that Fanalia could be connected to an exporting and importing system. According to Allen, it would speed Fanalia's economy immeasurably and strengthen ties with Asturia. 

A cloud covered the bright sun and through shadows on the green forest surrounding them. The river they planned to enlarge bubbled and laughed playfully. 

Unfortunately, an old land-dragon's nest had been found in a forest next to the newly marked out canal. The dragon who had owned that nest came back to find her territory being invaded, and unfortunately she happened to be a mother with draclings. 

The end result was unbelievable. All the land and supplies were either torn apart or burnt, and his men were trying to salvage what they could. 

"Captain?" Van beckoned over the man he had appointed to lead this project. He was an older man but was aging too well to tell. The gray that threaded through his brown hair only led to an air of wisdom, instead of age, and his mind was almost as sharp as Healer Aronic's. 

"Lord Van! Lord Van! I have to tell you something!" Van looked quickly over his shoulder and saw Merle bounding towards him. 50 yards from reaching him, Healer Aronic caught Merle by her collar.

"Not so fast, young lady!" Merle struggled and squirmed.

"Let me go! I have to talk to Lord Van!" She tried to bite Aronic, and for her efforts got clouted on the head.

" Merle, you need to learn some manners!" 

"Lord Van! It's Kemen! He—" Van shook his head.

"Merle, hold on." He shot a repressive look at Aronic. 

She nodded, " Come here, young lady, and show me where these old bones can rest. Not so fast! I don't want to sit there. Do you see that tree?" She pointed off in the distance.

Merle put her hand over her eyes and peer into the distance, "No. We're _surrounded_ by trees. Which one?"

" Keep looking until you find it. You'll know the one I want when you find it."

Merle huffed, "Oh, fine! I'll be right back, Lord Van!" Merle bounded off at top speed. Van shot Aronic a grateful look and turned to the Captain. Aronic sighed and sat down with a groan on a piece of torn wood.

"Captain, what…what are…" Van stopped and stared fixed at a point over the man's shoulder.

"Highness?" The captain said rising from his kneeling position in concern. Aronic rose from her seat in worry. The captain turned and couldn't see anything behind him and turned to Aronic. "Milady, what's wrong with King Van?"

Van tensed. A sharp pain pounded in his head. The light around him was blinding. 

And he heard her through the pain. The muscles in his legs tensed and released painfully, as if he were running. He couldn't seem to breathe and his vision became unclear. Van's chest constricted painfully.

__

Faster. Faster. I have to get home NOW! What if I'm too late? I have_ to get there before Dillandua. _

Van saw red cloud his vision. His felt something in his mind begin to stir painfully.

__

Dillandua is back, and Van---Van isn't here to protect me 

Van began to shake in fury. It wasn't true! He would always protect her!

__

Ziabach had used hostages before to gain my power, what will stop Dillandua from hurting my family?

Van was wracked by a vision of the _Vione _blocking the sun, Folken ordering that they turn over Hitomi, or else they would destroy Asutria. Hitomi surrendering. 

__

Which means the war… was my responsibility. All of those lives were my responsibility. 

No! Hitomi! It's was all a lie! The dragon bared its teeth, snapping in anger. But Hitomi couldn't hear him. She ran so fast that his entire body ached.

__

And in the end…everything was my fault.

Images flowed so fast past Van's vision he could hardly make them out. 

He saw Balgus dead, Allen wounded, Millerna's marriage, Naria and Eyria dead, Folken dead, a child crying, men, so many men, dying terrible deaths during the war, and last one picture lingered. 

It was him. When Escaflowne had been mutilated in battle, and he had been slowly bleeding to death. Without the Espano workers, Dryden and Hitomi, he would have never survived. 

__

In the end, in the very end, it was all my fault. The result of my misguided wishes. How could she have been so self-centered?

'IT WASN'T HER FAULT,' the dragon roared. Van felt like he was going to explode! If only she would _stop running!_

__

God, she hated herself. How could she have become so self-absorbed without even realizing it? Her family and friends cared about her and were worried about her, but she had ignored them and pushed them all away! Poor Yukari and Amano. She didn't deserve friends like them. Hitomi had pushed them away, lied to them for years, and because of that, Dillandua was going to get them. And her family? She had lied to them, been so absorbed in her own grief----how was it fair that they were going to pay for what she had done? Hitomi had set Dillandua, a murderer, on her family and her friends and it was all her fault. 

How many people had lost loved ones, especially in the war **she** instigated in Gaea? Wasn't it because Dornkirk had wanted her power that he had attack so many innocent people? Had they just refuse to function, when they had lost everything? No! She had watched them help to rebuild everything and start again! And Van? Just because she had left him, did he ignore Fanalia?

What was she thinking? Did she really believe this? She thought that _she_ was to blame for the Great War? It was all wrong! Van _hated her_ for hating herself. These lies made him furious! 

__

The small glimpses she had seem during her visions showed her Fanalia being rebuilt even better than before, more beautiful than before. Would she want Van to put her before his country? No! She loved Fanalia and she had a duty to protect it!

Van's thought's were keeping an endless chant, '_No, no, no, no'_ These words were poison, seeping into and killing everything they touched. Half-truths killed twice as fast. 

Yes, she loved Fanalia, but would she sacrifice herself for people she didn't even know? Just for him? Because he was the leader of this country? The thin line of duty had been crossed.

__

Even if it meant facing Dillandua alone! Even… Hitomi's thought broke, shattered by unshed tears that held a death-grip on her chest. 

Even…even if it meant letting go of Van. 

The dragon screamed. And the world seemed to break apart. The air turned black and shattered. The screaming anguish that burst from every fiber of his being was let loose in one howl of tormented agony and blinding, burning rage.

"**_NO_**!" Distantly, Van felt himself slump to his knees, chest heaving, and the muscles in his legs still working frantically. Hitomi continued, completely oblivious.

__

It was terrible, what she was doing to him. If she really loved him, she should be able…able to…able to let him go! So he could find someone else from his world, who could love him… Hitomi's heart screamed it's denial, but she ignored it. 

He wasn't in her head anymore. She couldn't feel him at the back of her mind. She didn't think she could bear the thought of hearing the echoes from his head when---when he found…found someone else. But his happiness went before hers. Seeing him happy would be worth anything, right?

Each word stabbed into him like a dagger and splintered into shards of torturous suffering. Van's eyes stared blankly at the ground, while his shoulder heaved. Then Van felt a hand on his shoulder, the chance that the dragon had been waiting. 

Aronic screamed and fell back into the captain's arms. Her hand was black, burned and the charred flesh still smoked. She instinctively sent a blue wash of light over the injury and saw the dead flesh slowly come back to life. The pain in her head by far outdistanced the pain in her hands. 

"He's—he's lost his mind!"

When the bone-crushing collision came, it felt like Van's heart had stopped. It felt like a guymelef had just flattened him. 

His first instinct was to damage anyone who tried to touch her, but this boy would be able to help her, ---because he couldn't. 

He thought he was slowly, slowly gaining control…but only until he saw Dillandua. 

Then the fire redoubled. All the anguish and pain turned suddenly into hot burning rage. The dragon howled in pure dark joy. There was no control. This enemy would DIE! 

Meanwhile Hitomi searched frantically for her family. Her anxiety only fueled the flame. She finally opened the door to her room. She saw Dillandua…and the Dragon took control. 


	11. chapter 11

Aoki sprinted after Hitomi, following her into the smoke filled house. He tried to follow her, searching room after room, shouting at her to get out! It wasn't safe! She finally reached her room, but recoiled from her door, then sent it crashing inwards. He ran into the room after her…stopped…choked. 

There was the guy who he had seen in the Kanzaki's door. His white blond hair shined red in front of the blaze and cast shadows and insane eyes and a grotesque scar. He was whispering and grinning sickly at the fire the had taken hold of Hitomi's bed and was catching on to the curtains. 

But the boy didn't scare Aoki. Hitomi did.

She wasn't Hitomi any more. The smoke…he must be going mad… There were _two_ people, overlapping each other! 

There was a boy with dark hair shadowing the outline of Hitomi and her tawny hair, and both of their hands were wrapped around a deadly sword. What was most shocking was the _huge _pair of blinding glowing white wings that arched up from their back, making the room glow. 

Aoki gaped. The sword seemed to burn.

"DILLANDUA!" the person? in front of Aoki roared. He/she brought their sword up in a lightning quick practiced move. They whipped the sword forward and charged …Dillandua? With sickening ease, Aoki saw the blade slide through the place where that boy's heart should be. 

Aoki unconsciously took a step backwards when the boy smiled and instead of collapsing, twisted the sword and pulled it farther into his chest. He laughed. Sparks and smoke surrounded them. 

"You can't kill me," he taunted. Hitomi shook her head violently, when the boy's blood splashed onto her hand. Part of her seemed to come back to reason.

"Van! We can't----no! Please! VAN!" There was a huge gust of wind. The tarot cards blew around her in a flurry. Everything was bathed in a blue/white light that shot through the falling rafters of the house carrying Hitomi and Dillandua with it. Suddenly, they were gone. 

Aoki stared, turned and ran out of the house.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

As carriage wheels beat the ground furiously, Van arched and cried out as wings erupted from his shirt, ripping it to shreds. Brilliantly glowing feathers surrounded everything. Van seemed surrounded in an unearthly fierce light. The captain and Lady Aronic gasped and stared. The captain dragged Aronic back when Van flexed the massive muscles in his wings on a shockwave of power erupted around his feet. 

A column of blinding white light pierced the sky. Van's massive wings beat once and Van soared upwards in a blur. 

The rage, the pain was gone now. Van poured all of his strength into reaching the light. His heart pounded painfully. His muscles tensed for the briefest moment, then he saw a slack form falling to the ground. He dived, gaining speed, faster and faster. _Please, please, please. _Time seemed to be standing still. Each ragged breath he took, each heartbeat seemed to take eternity. _Please. Please. I **need** her. Please. I must---Please. HITOMI!_

"Hitomi!" He caught her gently in his arms and tried to slow down before they crashed to the ground. The seemed to fall in slow motion. Van wrapped his pure white angel's wing around Hitomi's slack form, enveloping her in their protection. 

They impacted hard, and he wrapped her in his arms, shielding her with his body to protect her. For a second, they were both still, then he slowly sat up and laid her gently onto his lap.

"Hitomi. Hitomi!" She slowly opened her beautiful forest green eyes. 

"Van?" she whispered weakly in disbelief. "Van? Van!" Her eyes filled with tears that brimmed over and she threw her arms around his neck, hanging on to him for dear life. 

She suddenly went limp and collapsed against him, unconscious. Her last thought was still ringing in his head, "_I love you_" 

"Hitomi." He whispered and wrapped her tightly in his arms, afraid to let go, slowly rocking them back and forth. Back and forth. He slowly stood up, gently cradling Hitomi against his chest. He turned and saw Millerna, Allen, Selena, Dryden, Eris, Merle, and Aronic staring at him, speechless.

………………………………………………………………………………..

That's right, folks! The end of this chapter. Sigh…don't you just love all that really romantic stuff? 

Anyway, next chapter's already up and I can't wait to hear what you think of both of them! Please review!


	12. chapter 12

"You idiot!" Rianne cried, pounding the hard stone arm of the throne. 

"You pushed to fast! Making her try to '_give him up…' _of course he would have panicked! Do you realize how much you have complicated everything?" 

Her cold, crystalline emerald eyes narrowed and looked down furiously at Kyrell, one of her right hand advisors. "I asked you to slowly wear down the connection between them, not tear them apart so fast, they end up jumping between worlds! I should have your pendent for that!" Kyrell hand shot to his neck where the softly glowing rose colored pendent hung. 

"Highest Rianne, the _insecure _element interfered." 

"Dillandua? What has he to do with anything?" Rianne raised a questioning brow.

"He has been tracking the girl down! He actually had contact with her less than two days ago. I used her reaction to break the bridge between Earth and Gaea. It worked perfectly and no one suspected outer interference. But he targeted her to her house! We can't monitor completely, but when he came into contact with her family, they completely vanished, with no trace!" Kyrell continued in frustration.

"Did he kill them?" Rianne asked coolly.

"No. We would have been able to scan a read-out if they had died. They just vanished! The dragon was watching through the girl's eyes and when he found Dillandua, the power readouts were immeasurable."

Rianne features hardened in anger, "Very well. The first element is becoming unstable. He should not have been able to defy our orders and seek the girl out. Monitor him. If he becomes more insatiable, notify me immediately."

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Whoa…sorry guys! I didn't realize this chapter was that small! Good thing you can run over to the next one! Oh, and don't worry! You will find out who this mad psycho woman is! Please review!


	13. chapter 13

Sunlight splashed onto her face and she opened her eyes slowly. Where was she? Hitomi looked around in confusion. The room she was in was beautiful, but she had never seen it before. 

Hitomi shifted. It was the softest bed she had ever slept on! The blanket had strange, but pleasing patterns woven into it.

The sunlight had hit her from the open window across the room. What struck her as strange was that there was no glass in the window. It was just cut into the wall. 

She swung her feet over the bed and stood up. Hitomi gave a startled cry when she almost collapsed. Why did she feel so weak? 

Hitomi used the smooth stone wall as a support and tried to make her way over to the window. She intercepted a bookcase on the way. She glanced at the books, then her gaze snapped back to take a second look. 

There was one book open on the desk next to her, next to an oil lamp. They weren't written in English. There was only one place she had ever seen those symbols. Hitomi stumbled over to the window and looked up. 

There were two moons in the sky. She could see the Earth, but she wasn't on it. 

She was back. _She was back!_ She commanded her legs to stay under her. Hitomi stared out of the window. It was a beautiful view. It seemed almost too familiar. 

Then all at once she recognized… She was in Fanalia! Hitomi glanced down and felt her heart stop. There was a familiar dark head, with a sword in his hands, attacking a wood practice pell. 

"Van!" She cried softly. Hitomi bolted out of the room, stumbling only once or twice. She rushed past a towering hall, and down more stairs than she remembered. All the memories had come clashing back and were flashing across her vision. 

Unconsciously she followed the pendent, it glow in her head marking out her way. She ran/ stumbled past several people who she didn't even glance at who continued to stare in her direction, even after she was out of site. 

All of a sudden she burst in to sunlight. Hitomi gasped for breath.

"Van!" He turned and dropped his sword. She ran into his open arms, tears streaming down her cheeks. 

"Hitomi!" He laughed and swung her around in circles until they were both giddy and so dizzy everything was spinning and bubbling, both of their faces flushed and smiling in unabashed, ecstatic joy. 

"I missed you so much!" Hitomi sobbed into Van's shoulder, drenching the rough fabric of his red shirt. 

"I know." He held her tight, and thought nothing felt so right in his entire world. Van put a hand under her chin and titled her face up. 

If anything, she was even more beautiful then the last time he saw her. Hitomi titled her face upwards and Van bent his head and finally, finally their lips met. 

The kiss started hesitant and unsure, but grew sure and confident, sweet and possessive. They felt bridges rebuilding, slowly at first, then in a rush, till they couldn't tell who was who, in an exquisite rush of heightened senses, and beating hearts. 

Someone coughed, shattering the spell that held them in its thrall. Van jumped back, and Hitomi's face glowed. Their glances met, and even though they weren't touching, their thoughts were still fused. The bond between them had been restored

………………………………………………………………………………….

Selena sighed with pleasure, "Oh, Allen, they're perfect. Why didn't you tell me, brother?"

"Excuse me, I didn't know." Allen looked disgruntled. He coughed. Van and Hitomi sprang apart, their faces glowing. They were still holding hands. Allen didn't think they even realized it. 

"Oh! Allen!" Hitomi exclaimed. Another cough. She turned again.

"Millerna!? Dryden?" 

Millerna smiled and said, " It's so wonderful to see you again, Hitomi! We were so worried when you remained unconscious for so long!"

Hitomi frowned and looked confused. "What? But…How long was I…" 

"3 days." Van said softly. She chanced to look up, and her gaze caught his. 

She promptly forgot anyone else existed, entranced by the light and warmth in his gorgeous amber eyes. For real at last… _We cannot be separated again…_ Was that Hitomi's thought? Or Van's? She couldn't even tell anymore…

"Wha---what?" Hitomi ripped her gaze painfully away. 

"I said, 'maybe your appearance in Gaea is more coincidental then we think. I assume you know more than what little Van has already told us." Dryden repeated, considering Hitomi intently, but a small, smug smile played around his mouth. "I think that maybe you should be included in our meeting this afternoon."

"I agree," Eris stated, giving Hitomi a critical look. 

"But I----"

"Hitomi! You're back! You're okay!" A blur that was Merle launched herself into Hitomi, and they both went tumbling to the ground, Merle delightedly licking Hitomi's face. 

"It's been so long, we thought we would never see you again! We were so worried about you when you didn't wake up!" She reared up on her knees and shook a finger at Hitomi. "How dare you worry Lord Van like that! Honestly, you foreigners have no manners! Dropping out of the sky like that with no warning!" 

Hitomi grinned, unabashed, "I missed you too, Merle." She wiped some of the slobber off of her cheek, and pushed herself off of the ground. 

When Hitomi was brushing off her skirt, she was mortified when and LOUD complaining noise rumbled from her stomach. She felt the blood rushing to her face _again_. She was so embarrassed!

"I---uh…" Van tried to stifle a chuckle, but a brilliant smile still leaked through.

" Well, the Lady Hitomi has every right to be hungry, given as she had survived on water and tea for the last 3 days!" Everyone spun quickly and found themselves looking at Lady Aronic. 

"Hitomi, the is Lady Aronic." Van introduced, giving the embarrassed Hitomi a slight push till she stood in front of him.

"I have been waiting to meet you for a very long time, Hitomi Kanzaki. I am honored. More than you know. You have much to tell us, especially at the meeting this evening." Aronic stare left Hitomi disconcerted. 

Aronic caught Hitomi hand, and started to lead her towards the entrance of the courtyard. Van made a motion to follow, but Aronic halted him.

"Hitomi needs to recuperate still. She been through a lot of trauma. And I have a feeling that your presence going to help the healing process." Aronic grinned, turned to Hitomi, and said kindly;

"Come on, girl. You can tell me all about those strange structures on the Mystic Moon, while you eat." 

……………………………………………………………………………………………

Hi there, readers! I hoped you've liked it so far! 

Disclaimer; I'd like to say, again, unfortunately I don't own anything from Escaflowne. (Doesn't everybody wish they do? I mean, right now, I think I would make the 'fair trade' of my right arm in exchange for Van…..

More Chapters are coming, but only if you review! Tell me what you think. If you give me suggestions they definitely will be considered for my fic! I've had a lot of technical problems, but hopefully I can figure this site out…. 

I really liked writing this chapter! Oh…how sweet! ^_^ 


	14. chapter 14

Hitomi took a long drink of water from the cup in front of her. She sighed contentedly and leaned back in her chair, hands resting against her full stomach. 

"Excuse me," Selena said from the doorway of the kitchen.

"Oh, hi," Hitomi said, a little self-consciously. 

"I've heard a lot about you, and I'm so glad to meet you in person." Selena smiled. She approached the table where Hitomi and Aronic sat, and pulled a chair out adjacent to Hitomi. 

"I have a lot to thank you for." Selena's sky blue eyes gazed into Hitomi's evergreen ones. 

"Me?" Hitomi looked confused, "What did I----" 

"Quiet, girl. You've done more than you know," Aronic hushed Hitomi gently.

Selena nodded and leaned forward a bit more. "I don't remember much about the Great War. My brother, Allen, told me that if it weren't for you, we would have never been reunited. For that I owe you my life. Without you…I would have never known…that my mother had died." Selena hesitated and glanced away. 

She drew her shoulder back up and flashed Hitomi her brother's heartbreaking smile. "Without you, I would have never known that I had a nephew!" 

" Prince Chid?" Hitomi exclaimed. Selena nodded and grinned. 

"If there is anything that I can ever do for you, Lady Hitomi, please don't hesitate to ask." Selena said seriously.

"Thank you," Hitomi smiled. "First, you can call me Hitomi."

"There is something Hitomi would like to know, Selena." Aronic began grimly.

"What?" Hitomi inquired, perplexed.

"She would like to know what Dillandua has done with her family."

Selena drew back, aghast. 

"My family!" Hitomi stood up in anguish. "Oh, no! No! How could I have forgotten? I've got to----. 

Wait… wait…what would Selena know about Dillandua? Selena couldn't know him…she was reunited with Allen after he was transported with the light… Dillandua was on Earth---" Aronic looked quickly at Hitomi.

"You mean…You don't know?!" Aronic demanded, appalled.

"Don't know what?" Annoyance crept into Hitomi's tone. 

"Wait, Lady, please," Selena pleaded Aronic. She ran a hand through her hair. 

"Hitomi…I was Dillandua." Hitomi stiffened and her mouth dropped open. She began slowly backing up towards the wall. 

" But that's not possible," Hitomi whispered. "Dillandua was on the Mystic Moon…" 

"Let me explain!" Selena beseeched her. "Dillandua died on the battlefield of the Great War. I was trapped with him, in one body. Dornkirk and the wizards of Ziabach altered our fate, into the perfect killing machine. 

At the Great War, he was destroyed, and I was free to go to my brother. Jajuka… Aronic suspects someone used the old ruins of the Fate Alteration device to resurrect Dillandua, so he could attack you and your family." Selena bent her head.

Hitomi shook her head in disbelief, but slowly, slowly her expression changed. She reached a hand out, and gripped Selena's shoulder. 

"I am so sorry! It must be so hard for you." Selena gasped in shock at snapped her gaze to Hitomi's. "You're like Folken was, aren't you? You're body was changed also." 

Selena couldn't believe it. After all Dillandua had done to Hitomi. All the grief, pain, fear, even her family, and she still forgave her. She even understood and sympathized! Hitomi was too----compassionate to be real. Selena started as she felt a hot tear splash on her hand. Hitomi was crying. 

"I'm so sorry. Oh, mom…Hajime…Dad. It's all my fault." _You're not the only one who carries the sorrow of the dead, Van, _She thought.

(A/N: Notice that was a line from the last episode of the 5th volume of Escaflowne. Van had a monologue. You'll notice that I'm going to use a lot of the unsolved conflicts from the series. You've probably already caught some! ^_^ )

"Hitomi!" Aronic said sharply, "Your family isn't dead!"

"Wha—What?" Hitomi gasped. 

"During the War, you felt every man Van killed die—"

"How---How did you know that?!" Hitomi interrupted, astonished.

Aronic ignored her interruption. "You felt whenever Van was hurt. Wouldn't you have felt your family die?" 

Hitomi felt behind her and collapsed into a chair. She sat staring for a while, then Selena heard Hitomi breath out, "Alive…" 

Aronic suddenly _humped_ in annoyance, "Tell Fanalia's King that it's rude to listen into a private women's conversation!" 

__

Van? 

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Allen jumped as Van snapped his head up.

"What is it?" Dryden asked curiously as Van jumped up. 

Van could feel his face grow hot with humiliation. He opened his mouth to shrug off their questions, but no sound came out. At first, he hadn't even realized he was still in Hitomi's head. But before he knew it he found himself captivated. 

He had smiled when he saw Hitomi and Selena together. Selena had already been converted into one of Hitomi's adoring allies. 

He felt her horror when she suddenly realized Selena had been Dillandua. Van hadn't even realized she didn't know! He could have kicked himself for being so thoughtless. 

But when he felt all of Hitomi's horror turn into compassion, his heart could have burst with pride and wonder. Hitomi was amazing. There was just no bounds to how _good_ she was. And she was his…

What he hadn't realized is that Dillandua had gotten to Hitomi's family. He remembered so long ago when she had told him about her mother, father, and younger brother. He had just started to mourn their passing for Hitomi, when Aronic had said they might be alive…he felt hope flood into Hitomi.

He had been so shocked his heart must have stopped, when Aronic turned and said, "Tell Fanalia's King that it's rude to listen into a private women's conversation!" 

"Van?" Allen prompted.

"We-We should head to the meeting chamber, it's getting late," Van threw out and strode away. 

Dryden shook his head in wonder, " Late? We still have more than 3 hours till the meeting. Those soldiers are a strange bunch. We must have been calling him for 5 minuets, and not a twitch. I'll give you one guess at who he was thinking about." Allen snorted.

"Did you see that stupid grin?" 

"Like all of his wishes had come true, and he ruled the world?" Dryden smirked.

"Like he would jump off the castle parapet and fly." Allen supplied dryly.

Dryden chuckled, "In this case, he very well could, and we'd be finding feathers for the next week." They headed to the Meeting chamber, Dryden still muttering to himself. 

……………………………………………………………………………………

A/N; Hey, I hope you like my new chapter! It was fun to write! This is just the beginning! I think this might be on of the longest fics this site has ever seen! There's lots more to come! The more reviews you guys send, the more inspired I think I'll be! 

Disclaimer; Like Always, I hate to disappoint you guys, but I don't own Escaflowne *Tears flood chibi-Bozena's computer terminal T_T

Next chapter coming soon, but while you guys are waiting go to the little button on the bottom of your screen that says review and click go!


	15. chapter 15

Hi! Bozena here, and the next chapter is up! I just want to give credit to everybody whose help me out, especially Enzuru No Yami and Angel Eyes! Thank you, guys, sooooo much! 

Thank you everyone who has reviewed so far! I love to hear from you, but I love your e-mail address more! I keep trying to e-mail you guys back to thank you some more, but a lot of the reviews are un-sighned! 

Anyway, now the fic is finally getting a little rising action (well, more than usual) 

Disclaimer; (sniff, sniff) sorry guys, I have to have a pity party whenever I write a disclaimer. *Sob* I know, I know! I don't own Escaflowne! T_T

On a lighter note, read on! (I'll send you a huge cookie if you review)

……………………………………………………………………………….

Van stared, speechless. "No. It's not possible. It can't be true!" Twenty or so people surrounded the sturdy table in the council room. Van's advisors whispered to each other, and the echoes reverberated eerily in the hall. 

Portraits of the Fanalian line hung behind Van, and his ancestors seemed to stare uncannily and imperiously over the young king's shoulder.

Dryden shook his head; "It gets worse." 

Someone muttered in the background, "How can it get any worse?"

"The soldiers were all wearing Ziabach insignia," Dead silence filled the room. After what seemed like eternity, Allen shook his head in disbelief, "You've got to be joking!" 

Van stood up swiftly, his fist clenched, "Why wasn't I informed? How could I not know?" He demanded.

Dryden gave him a level look, "Because everyone suspects that you are instigating the attacks."

"After all Fanalia has worked for peace?" Van charged.

"Don't you think that they have a right to be suspicious?" Dryden inquired coolly. "In the entire _continent,_ every country had at least been assaulted, _except _Fanalia!" 

"Dryden, wait. What about what everyone hasn't considered," Millerna cast an apologetic looked in Van's direction. "Fanalia's guilt is _too_ obvious---" 

"What!" Van interrupted furiously. Millerna held up a hand.

"Wait. Hear me out. If Fanalia was provoking these attacks (with Ziabach insignia?) wouldn't Fanalia make it a little less obvious, instead of flashing their crimes for everyone to see? Van isn't _that_ foolish! (Allen grinned behind his gloved hand) I think…."

"Think what, Princess?" Dryden prompted.

"I think that Fanalia was framed."

"But who---" Van stopped in the middle of his question when Allen suddenly stood up. Selena, who sat beside him, started and tried to rise too, but Allen put a hand on her shoulder and pushed her back into her seat. 

"There is one way we can find out who these marauding mercenaries belong too, without further loss a life." Allen looked pointedly at Hitomi. Realization crept into Van's eyes.

"No! Gaea cannot depend on her powers! She---" 

"Van." His name fell softly from Hitomi's lips and drifted downwards in the quiet room like a feather gently floating on water. Van fell silent. Hitomi looked warily at Allen. 

"You don't realize what you are asking me. First, I haven't touched my tarot cards since I left Gaea, 3 years ago. I don't even have them here. And…What if I change the future again? What if my anxiety calls up an alternate fate? Do you realize---" 

Her voice broke. "Do you realize how many people have died after I used the pendent and the cards? I want to help, but…" Hitomi's hands clenched in her lap, and she leaned back with a sigh against the back of the tall, velvet covered chair she sat in. Her eyes shot open when she felt someone grasp her hand.

"Millerna…"

"Please, Hitomi. Please. Aren't people are dying already?" Her huge amethyst eyes begged for her people's lives and loved ones. 

Hitomi turned away from Millerna's gaze, "Oh, Millerna…" 

Millerna's face hardened. Before anyone could stop her, she brought her hand sharply against Hitomi's right cheek. Hitomi looked shocked and brought her hand up to her stinging, red face.

"How can you be so insensitive? Don't you realize by not doing something, that you're _causing_ more deaths?" Hitomi's eyes widened and all of the blood left her face in a rush. 

Millerna raised her arm again for another blow, but suddenly Van appeared between them and caught her hand. Van didn't say anything, but shook his head slowly and deliberately. He dropped Millerna's hand and reached behind him to grasp Hitomi's. At first Millerna was shocked by Van's speed, but then her face reddened in frustrated anger. 

"That's enough, sister!" Eris exclaimed, appalled. Millerna backed down with tears in her eyes. 

"I'm sorry. But our people are dying and losing everything, and I can't do anything about it."

"I may cause as much harm as I do good, but I'll try to do a reading, Millerna," Hitomi's voice came softly from behind her. 

"Thank you," Millerna whispered. 

………………………………………………………………………………

"Ace of Serpents. The Empress. The World; judgement card. Slayer of Dragons. The Death Card." Hitomi spoke in monotone as she laid down the cards in their order with her free hand. 

Aronic had once again surprised them all. It had turned out, that by some strange twist of fate, the blinding white light that brought Hitomi back to Gaea had included the cards. 

They had littered the ground where Hitomi and Van landed and only Aronic noticed them and thought to pick them up. While Hitomi had been worrying over the dilemma of a reading with no cards, Aronic had calmly pulled the deck out of her pocket and offered them to Hitomi. 

Hitomi's face suffused with color when she remembered. She had been so shocked when Aronic tried to give Hitomi her tarot cards she had almost fallen out of her chair, and had only been saved by Van's supporting arm. Why did she persist in embarrassing herself?

Speaking of Van… He knelt beside her now, gripping her left hand in his. She had been surprised when she felt a delicate chain between their skin. Hitomi had looked down and saw the pendent. She had glanced up quickly to meet Van's eyes. 

__

Its power has help us before, he spoke softly into her mind

__

It could be dangerous. Our anxiety could affect the future, switch it for an even more unhappy fate, she had replied, deeply concerned. 

He had looked away, expressing wordless wonder and sympathy at the weight she had carried alone, three years ago. Back then, he had been completely ignorant of the struggle of right and wrong reading the future was, and now he had only the smallest clue. Guilt still rode him from the times he had carelessly asked her to use her powers against Ziabach. 

__

It's all right. You were right. We'll need the pendent. I will need your help, Hitomi comforted. 

Allen, Millerna, Eris, Dryden, Aronic, Selena, Gaddes and Merle lounged around the small pavilion they had chosen outside for the reading. Everyone except Merle and Aronic pretended not to watch Fanalia's king and Hitomi, but all of them were a rapt audience. A map was spread in front of Hitomi. 

Slowly she had begun to draw cards. Without looking at them she knew the name face, and figure, even though the card was face down. 

Concern and something that looked distantly related to fear flitted across Aronic face. She watched as the light and shines fled out of both Van and Hitomi's eyes, mirroring each other perfectly. Their expressions became dead and flat, like their eyes, and they both grew pale and stiff. 

Hitomi paused. Last card. It belonged in the future position. She reached out her hand and touched the last card, instantly recognizing it for what it was.

_The Blank Card. _This one card she turned face up, so everyone could see the unmarred expanse of white. Then Hitomi began to speak, Van echoing her emotionless voice.

"In the past there was great courage, which will be need soon again. A great but forbidden and impossible love. War threatens peace once again. The death card. Many have died. Many will die. The dragon King leads the fight, that tips the balance of this," Hitomi gently touched the empty card. 

"This is the future. A crossroad. The blank card represents an uncertain future, that can tip to destruction or to salvation," Both Van and Hitomi fell silent. 

Hitomi had never been this certain on a reading before. To be truthful, a lot a readings were just guess work and translation, but this time…. 

She could feel Van in complete concordance. Their minds sang true together. She understood the exact meaning of each cards and it's position without having to decipher it, and through the pendent she could feel the gentle throb and pull of the cards in her hands. 

Then all of the sudden, Hitomi's peaceful trance was shattered. She felt the world outside of her disappear. It was a vision, she realized, astonished. But for the first time ever, someone from the world behind her came with her.

"Van?" She gasped. 

He gripped her hand tighter and answered, "I'm here. Where the heck are we?" He stared at the images swirling around them.

"It's a vision," Hitomi whispered to herself. All of a suddenly the vision around them solidified. 

It was the Mystic Valley. Hitomi could feel Van's violent denial shake her. Atlantis erupted into flames! Blazing infernos swallowed people whole, and reached hungrily for her and Van. Abruptly two armies suddenly erupted from the flames, about to clash. 

Van felt himself stiffen when he recognized the leader of the first army. It was himself.

"No! I'm tired of fighting! I don't want to fight!" He yelled in defiance. 

Hitomi was watching the other army. She whimpered softly and buried her face in Van's shoulder. He turned and stared hard at the opposing side. Two draconians stood in shadow. It was impossible. All other draconians were dead. 

He wrapped his arms tightly around Hitomi, daring the vision with a feral growl to try and take her away. The dragon in his consciousness stirred. Not yet awake but waiting for a chance, watching avidly.

But Van saw what Hitomi didn't. She had her face hidden. Van saw a single, solitary figure standing in between the two armies. Alone, standing futilely for peace. 

It was Hitomi. 

………………………………………………………………………………

Merle knelt by Van, shaking him and crying. Millerna pushed as hard a she could on Hitomi's chest, while Aronic bent by her head, breathing into her mouth and pushing waves of blue light into the fallen sprawled bodies of Van and Hitomi. 

Selena gripped Merle's shoulder hard. Merle turned, quick as a cat, snarling and spitting. 

"Van-sama will be fine, Merle. He's still breathing! Hitomi's lungs have stopped," Selena said in the calmest voice she could muster. She was frantic. The one person, the reason she stood here today with her brother was technically dead. Ferocity bit off her words into curt monosyllables. 

"Look!" Allen cried. A dim light slowly dripped out of the previously dead pendent and two hands that were held in a death-grip twitched and gripped. Hitomi let out a racking cough and Van bolted upright, panting. 

Merle gave a squeal of delight and licked Van's cheek with a will. 

"Merle, cut that out!" Van exclaimed in exasperated affection. 

"We were so worried, Lord Van!" Merle cried. Hitomi coughed harder, her shoulders heaving. Van carefully pushed Aronic's hands out of the way and gently started rubbing Hitomi's back as her cough subsided. 

Hitomi shaded her tear-filled eyes against a stray sunbeam that had wandered in the garden pavilion, and rasped to Van, " I think we need a safer hobby." 

Dryden threw his head back and burst out laughing. Allen glared at him, and Hitomi wondered if they had ever resolved their differences while she was gone. She guessed not. 

"What happened, Hitomi?" Millerna demanded. Even Eris looked ruffled and worried. 

"I----We had another vision. War is coming, and our enemy is not quite…" Hitomi paused searching for breath and words.

"Ziabach hasn't been reborn…it's been recruited," Van stepped in. 

"Impossible!" Allen protested. "What alliance would be able to swallow the entire Ziabach Empire?" Van shook his head.

"We don't know," Hitomi answered for him. "But two…people are coming to try overthrow Fanalia from the inside! They're coming soon! How will we know who they are?" 

"I have it!" Everyone turned to Dryden in surprise. Dryden grinned and he turned to Van. "It's time to improve Fanalia's social graces and throw a party!" Millerna looked at him if he were insane. 

"Come on, it's perfect!" Dryden continued. " If their coming soon, have the party in all visitors honor. It would be the perfect opportunity to spy on them and they won't even know what hit 'em!" 

"As much as I hate to admit it, Dryden's idea has merit," Eris mulled over the thought as she spoke. 

"Yeay!" Merle exclaimed in excitement. She loved parties. Allen looked extremely apprehensive. Hitomi noticed the expression. 

_I wonder….._she thought and instinctively reached to Allen through the pendent. 

What she saw was amazing, and left her speechless. Barley visible strings bound everyone in the small garden deck to each other. 

One strong brilliant beam of light connected her to Van. It was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. 

Hundreds of small child-like glowing bonds connected Merle to Van. 

What shocked her most was almost the same light that connected her to Van, connected Allen and Millerna. But it was terribly twisted and knotted. 

_I don't believe it_, she thought. _Allen and Millerna are still in love. I guess Allen really _**is**_ the only man for her!_

(A/N; there we go again! From the 6th volume of VoE, last episode. "Millerna, Allen is the only man for you" Dryden looks shocked…hehe)

She snapped her 'eyes' out from the pendent and sent a thought hurtling toward Van

_I have to show you something! I want you to see this._ Van ignoring the still debating people around them and sent her an inquiring glance. She took his hand and 'guided' him to look through the pendent. Van's hand slackened in shock.

_Look at the light between Allen and Millerna. I guess they're still in love, _Van shook his head slightly

_But why….how…. I didn't know_, His confused thoughts spilled into her head. Hitomi put a hand to her aching head and without realizing it, slipped into sleep, with Van tenderly holding her head.

Aronic, unnoticed by everyone surrounding her, gazed up at the sky. She had seen Hitomi fall asleep in the King's arms. She recognized their vision----and she wonder just what Rianne thought she was doing.

………………………………………………………………………………

Hey, guys! It's me again! How did you like it? Good, not so good? Coming over to my house at night with torches to throw me into the Pacific Ocean? 

Tell me! Go to the review button on your screen! If you give your e-mail, I'll e-mail you back with a lot of thanks, consideration, and a truck load of heat-shaped cookies!

I'll mention again the sadly I do not own Escaflowne, just everything else (One day you'll be mine, my pretty and your little dog too!) *Bozena cackles evilly* 

The next chapter is coming up soon so bear with me. ; ) The more reviews you write, the inspired I am! 

Bozena's ficie Inc. 

Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Concerns? 

Review now at the bottom of your screen!


	16. Chapter 16

Hi! Thanks for checking in on my next chapter! It's a long one, so brace yourself! 

Ok, LavinaAnnJ@netscape.com? I keep trying to e-mail you, to thank you and for a another chapter alert, but it's not getting through, sorry!

Disclaimer; All right, as you all well know, I don't own Escaflowne T_T But, if you did think that I own Escaflowne, *chibi-Bozena gives you a baka-grin and hands you a truck load of heart-shaped cookies* Thank you so much! 

Sooooooo……. People are getting tired of me just saying "please read and review" Sooooooo…

Here is my poem to you

Please, read and review

If you do, I love you

I'll send you a cookie

All pink and blue

If you do

I promise you

I will write you ……

another CHAPTER!!!! 

"His name is Keman!" Merle stated proudly. 

Hitomi gave her a brilliant smile and leaned over the gorgeously carved crib. Sunlight struck crystal chimes that hung over the toddler and chimed in a soft heavenly chorus. The baby giggled and stretched to touch the dancing rainbows.

"He looks exactly like a cat," Hitomi murmured affectionately, and one of Keman's ears in question flicked back to catch the sound of her voice. 

Then she turned and stuck her tongue out teasingly at Merle, "Just like you!" Van grinned to himself from the doorway where he lounged against the wall with his eyes closed. 

"How old is he?" Hitomi asked curiously.

"He only 10 months old, but he already is beginning to talk!" Merle puffed her chest out higher.

"What?" asked Hitomi. "Isn't he a little young?" 

"No," Merle said indignantly. "He warned me that you were coming!" Hitomi gasped. Van's eyes shot open, a look of disbelief on his face. 

"What are you talking about, Merle?" Hitomi exclaimed breathlessly.

"Three hours before you came from the Mystic Moon, Keman woke up and told me---hmm---it was something like, 'Soon. She's coming soon. Tell him.'" 

"Merle, that's not…" Van began.

"Why won't you believe me, Lord Van?" Merle cried, sniffing. "Remember? You were at the site of the new port! I _told_ you I had to tell you something, but Aronic sent me away! I tried to tell you what Keman said!" 

Hitomi watched the scene play over in Van's head, paying close attention to Merle's role. 

__

It's my fault. How could I have been so foolish?

It wasn't your fault! How could you have known? Van nodded and briefly touched Hitomi's consciousness with his own, in a gentle, grateful caress. 

"I wanted to show you something else too," Merle continued, dashing the back of her hand across her face. "Look," Merle caught Keman's arm and turned it so the light struck the resplendent scales. 

"What---what is he?" Hitomi asked drawing back. Van…Van couldn't speak. Hitomi turned in concern and put a worried hand on his shoulder. His opaque gaze snapped up to meet hers. 

__

What is it? She sent the delicate thought probing his thoughts in confused concern. 

She could feel Van struggle for a moment. And for the briefest second she was shut out of his head. Excluded from his thoughts and feelings. It was a terrible unpleasant jolt to her senses. And then Van was back, and she saw a memory through his eyes.

__

"But Balgus, how did the second son know to fight the dragon?" 

"Young prince, he was told by a dragon-seer," The scarred face tipped up in a smile.

"What's a dragon-seer?" Van's innocent child-like face looked up anxiously in unabashed curiosity. 

"It's a human child of a dragon. There has only been two in recorded history, and they were both found as abandoned orphans. These small draclings are soothsayers. They see into the future." 

"What happened to the dragon-seer of the great king?" A small hand tugged on Balgus' long chain mail. 

"When he reached his 5th year cycle, they say he sprouted great dragon wings and scales and flew to live with the legendary demons, the Draconians,." Hitomi's mind was snatched out of the memory.

__

"You think…he's…. A dragon-seer?" She whispered, her eyes never leaving Van's face. He shrugged and looked away. 

"What? What's wrong, Hitomi?" Merle exclaimed, fretting.

"Nothing is wrong, Merle," Hitomi reassured her calmly. "He's a very special baby. Look after him very carefully."

…………………………………………………………………………

"What do you mean?" The archduke of Asturia demanded. 

"I'm telling the council that aggressive action might be a very wise choice. Just enough to put Fanalia back in its place. The new King is still rebuilding his kingdom, is he not? A small fire here and there, a little loss of life now would stop a greater loss of life later. Then the war that Fanalia is instigating would be avoided, with little cost," The newcomer said reasonably. In the council of the Nations, for the very first time, every single member was struck speechless. 

What the new diplomat spoke _sounded_ like the voice of reason, but when you actually considered what she was saying--- She seemed so young and innocent. Much to innocent to be the diplomat supposedly sent by Ziabach. 

The council had been working tirelessly for the past three years to cover the fact that the Ziabach Empire had not _exactly_ fallen after the Great War. One ruler had simply been replaced by another. As long as Ziabach didn't threaten to attack Asturia, the Archduke thought, they could exist in secret without any interference from _him. _

The newcomer stood in a small pool of light at the dais in the center of the meeting room. 

She really was beautiful, the Duke reflected. Huge, fathomless, light blue eyes were partially covered by coy strands of sun-kissed gold hair. She had delicate, aristocratic features that seemed to glow from with-in. 

The more he studied her the more entranced he became. She seemed like the goddess of youth and beauty. Lust and innocence, beauty and pleasure were all promised in her blinding smile. 

He couldn't even hear what she was saying, because all sound was blocked by the rushing in his ears. 

"I second it!" Rang through the hall. It took the Duke some time to realize that _he_ was the one who had said it. 

He hadn't even realized that he had stood up. The entire council stared at him and the epitome of love and glory flashed one of her heart-breaking smiles at him. It melted him and he believed any actions he had seconded were worth that brief second of recognition. 

"Are you sure, Guimel?" The count of Palas and his best friend inquired in amazement. 

"Of course I am! This plan not only has merit, it is the best I have heard from this council in months!" He stated proudly, without a clue what was going on.

"You've made a great enemy in Fanalia," His friend commented gravely. 

"Very well," the angel on the platform agreed. "Does the council stand behind the actions of the high Duke?" There was a low murmuring for about 5 minuets.

An elder stood up, to speak for the rest, "We agree to some of the elements of the plan. We will not face Fanalia in an open attack, as of yet," He said. "Citizens are still unstable about the new laws of peace and any attacks from Asturia, so we might cause a revolt." 

"We will, however, send two agents into Fanalia's court, as spies and disquieters. We just need them to loosen Fanalia's unity, and maybe intercede some false military information and advise," The Elder paused and looked significantly at the young woman on the dais.

"We first considered ordering this assignment on a knight Cealie, but we realized that the knight Allen is to close to Fanalia's king for the plan to succeed. So…we propose that Ziabach's diplomat, and one other go instead," The Elder finished with an ironic smile. 

"Mission Accepted," the blond smiled, gave the Duke a nod that set his heart beating out of his chest, and left.

…………………………………………………………………………

"It worked perfectly, Brother!" Serena crowed with delight. "They've given both of us leave into Fanalia's court to 'spy and be disquiters.' The archduke looked like someone had speared him through the gut!" She laughed long and loud, tears of mirth forming and brimming over in her perfect blue eyes.

Riven smiled thinly, with narrowed hazel green eyes. "They say that the archduke is a handsome man, used to his pleasures. I imagine his thoughts about you were not clean, Sister," Serena flashed him a knowing grin and sauntered up to him.

"Surly not as handsome as you, Brother," Serena slipped her arms around Riven's trim waist.

"Surly not."

…………………………………………………………………………

"It's beautiful!" Hitomi exclaimed at the view of the city bizarre. "How was it built so fast?" Van was secretly pleased by Hitomi's praise. Gratitude and praise were something the job of a monarch was lacking a great deal. It seemed that many people were taking for granted that they had their beautiful kingdom rebuilt in peace. 

Everyone expected everything to fall into place without realizing how much work he put into it to _make_ it fall into place. 

"The streets wind so that everything is connected to a central pattern, which will eventually be a port," Van explained, trying to keep the pride out of his voice and failing miserably. 

"Everything is connected in levels. The outer level is medical care, education, and orphanages. The second is farming and supplies, the next small business, etc. Eventually connecting to an importing and exporting system."

"It's amazing!" Hitomi exclaimed, and Van tried not to flush. 

She grinned, "Everyone works so hard. On the Mystic Moon it's easy to take a lot for granted," Van raised his brows, questioning silently. They had reached the busiest part of the market, and could hardly hear each other speak. 

Hitomi felt---giddy. She had realized what else she was taking for granted. She was with Van! Not stuck in different worlds, not separated! A light rain started to drizzle down and only increased Hitomi's senseless joy. She could feel the damp heat of him beside her could look up and see him over her shoulder. He had grown while she was gone. She had gained maybe two inches, and he had tripled the height distance between them. 

A terrible thought struck Hitomi. How long could this last? The reasons she had left Fanalia in the first place still stood. She roughly shoved the thought to the back of her mind and tried to speak to Van. It was just too loud in the square.

__

You know, the countries on the Mystic Moon guard their secrets very jealously,. Hitomi tried again, grinning in anticipation.

__

Really.

But sometimes ideas are traded in society… but only if the other side is caught.

Is that so? She didn't have to look at him to know his confidant, laughing grin mirrored her own.Hitomi's train of thought switched directions fast as lightning.

__

If you designed the street systems, you must know it pretty well, right? He nodded. Here goes…Hitomi thought.

__

If you can catch me, I'll tell you about Earth's technology! And with that she was gone. She ran so fast that almost 50 people stood in between him, before Van had recovered his senses. Van laughed out loud, and gave chase. He cut to the left, and down the nearest alleyway. 

Even if a thousand people, and a thousand miles stood between them, Van could still feel each breath Hitomi took, and each step. He felt like a little boy again. All of his worries, responsibilities, everything had vanished. This was_ fun!_

He pictured the pendent in his mind and felt it swing to the right. They were running almost adjacent now. It he hadn't taken the shortcut, he didn't know if he could keep up with her. She could out-distance anyone! 

__

HEY! _You can't use the pendent! That's cheating! _Hitomi shouted into his head with indignation. The pendent dropped out of his thoughts.

__

I don't need the pendent to find you. I…see/know/feel where you are…always. On the outer layer his thought were amused, but inside was a veiled promise. 

…………………………………………………………

People stared after Hitomi as she constantly dodged the obstacles of the busy street. Her footsteps thudded faster and faster against the cobblestones. 

That was cheating! He wasn't allowed to use the pendent! He already had the advantage of knowing were he was going, she thought in mock-indignation. Then she would have giggled if she had the spare breath. 

Medieval buildings and streets flew past, and she was enjoying the thrill of a chase and the chance to really stretch her muscles out. He was very close now. He was right, she didn't need the pendent to find him. She just knew. 

The thought pleased her beyond what it should. She sighed mentally. She truly, deeply loved him, with heart, mind and soul. If only she could express it in words to him… SLAM!

"Ahhhk!" For the second time Hitomi felt herself knocked flat, just because she wasn't looking where she was going. She sat up from where she was tumbled on the ground. Hitomi blinked and shaded her eyes.

"Are you all right, miss?" Hitomi's first impression was one of startling hazel green eyes. It was a young man, she realized, and he was offering a hand to help her up. She stared stupidly at him. He was very handsome, she realized. He had hair the same shade as Van's, but tidy and tied back, where as Van's was unruly and wild. He had fine chiseled features and a slim figure.

__

He must be a real knockout, Hitomi thought vaguely. 

"Hitomi!" Van came up behind her and dropped to help her to her feet. He slid his hands carefully around her tiny waist, and firmly helped her up. He glanced up and growled at the intruder on _his_ territory. 

"I apologize,----" the guy began. 

"Hitomi," she said with a tentative smile. "It's okay, I should have been watching where I was going," A blush started to rise on her cheeks.

He bowed, charmingly, "My name is Riven. Allow me to make reparations?" Van glared and took and threatening step forwards, with a soft snarl.

"No, that's okay. I'm so sorry for running into you, maybe another time," Hitomi ended graciously, firmly taking Van's arm and leading him away. He glared back over his shoulder. 

"It's okay, Van!" Hitomi exclaimed.

"He's trouble," Van snapped.

"C'mon, we have to head back. Aronic is going to be really mad if she misses us," Hitomi changed the subject. Van nodded curtly, and remained silent. Hitomi tentitivly "knocked" on the door that connected their minds. 

Van threw open the 'door' in his head and forced Hitomi to take a second look at what _he_ saw of that womanizing, son of a---(A/N; you get the picture. I want my fic to still be rated PG) 

'Riven' was …not how he had first appeared. He had the same felling of..of, how did you describe it? Wrongness, that she had felt when she saw Folken's black wings… The same silent warning bells that she had missed and Van had caught rang through her head so she could catch them the second time. 

__

I'm so sorry, she whispered in the back of his mind

__

Don't scare me like that again, he said tightly as he slammed the 'door' shut. Hitomi realized with a jerk that he had been ready to fight for her life. 

She opened her mind to his closed one with a flow of apology, contriteness and understanding. 

She felt him sigh and slowly untense. Slowly he opened back up to her. She brought his hand up to her cheek and her eyes fluttered closed. He softly brushed her cheek with his palm, then brought it down between them to lead her back to the castle. 

……………………………………………………………………..

Thank you for reading! Now, if you please go to the little button at the bottom of your screen, and tell me what you thought of it! If you leave a signed review, I will e-mail you back, just to thank you and send you a hockey rink full of heart shaped cookies!

All right…*sweatdrop* Here goes…..Disclaimer; I DON'T OWN ESCAFLOWNE!!!! Sorry guys, it's just a trial to write. (truth hurts)

The next chapter is coming up sooner than you think! So, PLEASE!!!! Keep checking up and reading my fic!

"Caution; Spoiler! Don't think we've left Earth behind yet! Maybe you'll find out more about Hitomi's family, Amano, Yukari, Aoki, Aronic, and the reason Hitomi can't stay on Gaea, in the next chapter!


	17. chapter 17

Hi! I'm really sorry it's been so long but the next chapter is up. I've kind of been on a barbecue of flames right now, so we have to get some things strait! First, I am so sorry for the grammatical and spelling mistakes that were in the 15th and 16th chapters. I have gone through and re-edited them, so the mistakes (for the most part) are gone. 

Keman's age, on suggestion, has been changed to 10 months old, with a strange trait of growing way to fast…and yes, I did get the name 'Keman' from Andre Norton and Mercedes Lackey's ElvenBlood books. (What can I say, it's an awesome name!) *Chibi-Bozena wacks her shoulder angel with a big paper fan ; ) 

The reason Aronic knows so much and catches on so quick, along with the reason Amano and Yukari don't remember Van's short visit, etc, will be explained later in the fic. Please, just trust me, guys! Wait! I feel another poem coming!

Please read my fic

Then review it quick

I'll send you heart-shaped cookies

And lots of pokey sticks

And then I'll write you…..

ANOTHER CHAPTER!!!!!!

Hitomi woke up slowly to a bird's songs and sunlight. She _still_ felt exhausted, even after a full night of sleep! She tumbled out of her bed and barley managed to keep her feet. Hitomi blearily pulled the clean shirt from the bottom of her bed over her head. 

She really did feel terrible. Hitomi had a headache, her face was hot and flushed, and the light in her beautiful bedroom hurt her eyes. She groggily slipped her tennis shoes onto her feet and headed down to the kitchen to get some water, not truly awake or thinking of anything at all.

_Ugh! How many times had she tripped over that stair? Who would be stupid enough to put a stair around a corner? What she would give to give that idiot a piece of her mind… _

"Hitomi!" Allen exclaimed as she ran into him. "Be careful!" Hitomi tried to keep her eyes open while she muttered an apology, and for the first time noticed Millerna and Selena.

Hitomi barely noticed something amiss. Allen's expression was black as a storm cloud, Millerna's face was a furious red, and Selena was pretending to be oblivious of everything, but the leaves on the trees, outside the window. 

"Do you know where Van is? We've been looking for him everywhere!" Allen snapped curtly. "Since he doesn't bother to inform _us_ where he is going to be, maybe _you_ would know," he continued waspishly. 

Allen's attitude had finally soaked into Hitomi's fuzzy awareness, "Calm down, Allen," she groaned. "I haven't see Van since-----" Hitomi frowned and said without thinking, "Wait a sec." 

She 'tugged' on the bridge/rope in her head that connected her to Van. He 'saw' her and smiled, the vision sending with his image a peaceful picture of tranquil sunlight and trees surrounding his brother's grave. 

"He's at his brother's grave. He wants to know why you were looking for him," Hitomi sighed, wishing that she could just go back to bed. 

Allen, Selena, and Millerna stared at Hitomi in a taught silence. All of them were unable to twitch a muscle. 

__

I knew Van and Hitomi had a special bond, but do I actually believe that they can talk to each other in their heads? Millerna asked herself. 

"T-tell Van that suspicious representatives have come unannounced to Fanalia. We think that they are the two you predicted, Hitomi," Allen choked out. Hitomi leaned against the wall and sighed again.

Suddenly Selena was beside her and gripping her shoulder. "Are you feeling well, Lady Hitomi?" she asked in concern. 

Hitomi gave her a beautiful sleepy smile, "I'm fine, Selena. Just a little tired." 

"Just what we need," Aronic appeared behind them and threw up her hands. "Not only do I find myself in charge of organizing a banquet, finding all the food, clothing, tapestries, Hitomi looks like she's going to keel over!" She exclaimed in exasperation. 

"You," her eyes pinned on Millerna and Selena. "Do you have any idea where Merchant Dryden's guild crown is? It seems to have gone missing and I _suspect_ that a 'practical joke' was played. Hmm? Maybe to get a little revenge for putting the allergy weed in the women's wine?" Millerna blushed and dropped her eyes and Selena shifted her feet and tried to stifle a smile. 

Millerna cleared her throat and declared, "Perhaps you should try looking behind the tapestry of the market place, in the first greeting hall."

"Perhaps Lord Dryden should learn to take some of his own medicine," Selena muttered behind her hand. Aronic through up her hands again. 

"Good grief," Hitomi heard Allen mutter. Hitomi leaned more of her weight against the wall and thought that even if the wall was a bit hard and cold, this wouldn't be a terrible place to fall asleep….

"Hitomi!" 

"Y-yes?" She sighed.

Aronic took her hand, "You're falling asleep on you feet, Child!" She scolded affectionately. "Come with me and I'll get you all fixed up," she said as she position herself at Hitomi's side and led her back up the hall. 

"By the way," Aronic asked. "What clothing do you own on Gaea? Where on the Mystic Moon are we going to find you ball clothes?" 

Hitomi tripped over that jinxed step again.

……………………………………………………………………………….

"Rianne?"

"What?" The Empress of the Last Draconians snapped at Kyrell. 

"The twin ¼ bloods have reached the Fanalian Palace. Our spy is in place. She begins to suspect, though, Your Majesty," He told her with his head bowed. 

"Does she?" Rianne mused. "I wouldn't put it above Aronic. She comes from a very proud line of the Healer Guilds. I imagine she already had pieced together our plans. She just gave that girl a draft to clog all clairvoyant senses. Aronic must have guessed that the girl from the Mystic Moon has the ability to pick up tensions in the air, and was becoming affected without even realizing it." 

"Surly, she will still send her back, Your Highness!" Kyrell exclaimed.

"Of course she will!" Rianne fumed. "She has no choice! She knows she is just a pawn on the board, just another piece of destiny! Even if she refused to send her, fate would still take her back to the Mystic Moon, one way or another! It is hers, and our, one _true _destiny," She reminded him. Commanding him, willing him, forcing him to believe their fate. What was destiny, if not a collision of fate? All of her subjects, even Kyrell, were convicted to believe that she _was_ the one true fate.

…………………………………………………………………………….

"A pillar of light? Just what do you mean?" Amano demanded as Yukari gasped and drew back. 

"Just like I said! She met that guy, the one who had set her house on fire, then all of the sudden the room was full of blue light and she was gone!" Aoki burst out.

"She-she went back," Yukari whispered.

"What?" Amano turned to her. "She went back where, Yukari?" His eyes pleaded to her to make some sense of this as he grasped her hand tightly. 

"Back to that guy----back to that world!" Yukari cried. 

"What guy? What world?" Aoki reached over to try and shake her, but Amano shot him a menacing look. 

"Three years ago, Hitomi was running on the track trying to break 13 seconds. Then all of a sudden…all of a sudden…a light appeared, a blue light! The same thing had happened!" Yukari explained. 

Why did everything seem so foggy? When Hitomi had been here, the memory had been as sharp as the day it had happened. Why is it now she could barley get the words out? "Hitomi---Hitomi told me that she went to a different world…and…and fell in love! She said, 'It was her war.' Something----something…..I forget," she admitted shamefaced. "I just can't remember," she cried, putting a hand in front of her eyes. 

"It's ok, Yukari," Amano reassured her, but she could see the disbelief in his eyes. "Maybe she'll come back soon." Aoki looked like he wanted to hit him. 

…………………………………………………………………………………….

"Come on, Hitomi! Everyone's waiting for you!" Merle tapped her foot impatiently. Hitomi turned to frown at Merle from where she had been peeking around the great archway that led to the ballroom.

"But----" Hitomi tried to form an excuse.

"Oh! Don't be ridiculous! You look fine! You're going to have to come out sometime!" she ordered in a 'no nonsense' voice. 

"I---"

"GO!" Merle gave her a shove and Hitomi went stumbling down the short stairway. She stopped in the middle of the light and blushed till she thought all her blood vessels would burst. She seemed rooted to the spot when Van first saw her. 

…………………….

He couldn't seem to close him mouth, which had popped open from astonishment. 

She was gorgeous. Hitomi seemed to stand in her own celestial light. The dress she was wearing had once been his mother's. A faint voice in the back of his head was surprised he had even recognized it. 

It had been his mother's favorite. It was brilliant white and flowing, with tiny seed pearls sewn in to all the embroidery covering the dress. 

Hours and hours of work on creating the dress had turned out spectacularly, with glittering white pictures of wings, feathers and moonlight. The unearthly fabric floated like a mist off of Hitomi's shoulders, giving the illusion of wings. The only contrast to the brilliant white color was a bright sash that was a lush forest green. Small red gems littered the sash's fabric and look like tragic blood tears. 

Her heightened color made her skin glow, and the green sash brought out her eyes so vividly that they looked like green emeralds, sparkling and shining. 

He didn't even realize he was heading towards her till they were all most face to face. The formal instinct bred into kings finally took the place of his shock and he gave her a boyish grin. Van bowed slightly and offered his hand to Hitomi. 

She smiled back weekly, and placed her hand in his. Why was she so embarrassed? Didn't she know how beautiful she was? 

__

My mother loved that dress. She wore it to spite my Father's advisors who hadn't wanted their King to be married to a Draconian. She glanced up at him in surprise.

__

Your mother's!? You mean this dress is… He shrugged, uncomfortable. 

He avoided the question and led her to the dance floor where captivating music floated around the couples dancing. 

"Dance with me?" he asked, in his opinion, switching one embarrassing question for another. 

"Ah—sure," she said, surprised. Van chuckled at the stares she was getting from the people who were closest to them. 

__

What is it? Hitomi inquired in perplexity. 

__

Their noble pride has been offended. They expected to hear, 'Of course, You Majesty, I would be honored,' Van answered. Hitomi hesitated and reddened more, if it was possible.

__

Opps!

Van, I don't know if this is a good idea. I don't even know how to dance! What if I make some terrible mistake? 

You'll be fine. Hitomi was inclined to disagree. They reached the edge of the mosaic tile of the dance floor. Van listened intently to the music for a second, then brought the hand he was holding up to his shoulder, and wrapped his free arm around her waist. 

At the feel of her so close to him, his heart began to thud a little harder. Swaying gently to the music he led her through the intricate steps it had taken him hours to learn as a little boy. 

Suddenly she tripped and went sprawling into him. She gasped in mortification. Blood rushed to his face, as he caught her and stopped in the middle of the floor. Maybe he had had too much wine. He felt intoxicated. It must be wine, or adrenaline making his blood boil, right? 

He _really_ liked the feeling of her collapsed in his arms. For eternity, he seemed to stare into her eyes, entranced by the fathomless depths…till someone accidentally bumped into his shoulder with an unpleasant jolt. 

The offender turned, "I'm so sorry! Oh, Your Highness. I was looking for you." 

It turned out to be a girl. He noticed dispassionately that she was very pretty. She peeked up at him through thick lashes that covered huge sky blue eyes, and made shadows against flawless alabaster skin. Her blond hair curled coyly around her shoulders, as she smiled with flirtatious mischief. However pretty she seemed on initial encounter though, Hitomi's beauty out shone her like a candle to the erupting sun at dawn. 

"I just wanted a word, You Majesty, but if you are already engaged…" Hitomi pushed herself out of his arms immediately and back up a pace. She looked humiliated. 

"No," she said coolly. "Please excuse me." She turned and strode off the floor. Van opened his mouth and reached out a hand to stop her but the other girl grabbed his other hand and curtsied. 

"A word, please, My Lord?" She tucked her arm around his and led him off the floor. 

"My name is Serena, King Van. I have something of great importance to tell you," she said, mysteriously. 

Van mind instantly ran over everything that could have gone wrong. Had there been an attack? Where was his sword? With his free hand he groped for the hilt of his weapon. 'Serena' saw and giggled. 

"No, Your Highness, I just have a message for you pleasure alone," she purred. She led him to a privet corner of the room, right in front of two massive glass doors, which led to a balcony. 

She sighed. "Aren't the stars beautiful tonight, Majesty?" she asked dramatically. Van nodded and fidgeted, wondering just _what _this girl's message was. 

She invited him out onto the balcony. He followed only reluctantly, feeling like his head was stuffed too full. 

Serena led him to a bench that overlooked most of Fanalia. "It's such a perfect night," she whispered. 

All of a sudden she was leaning close, and her eyes fluttered closed…

……………………………………………………………………………

Hitomi snapped her consciousness out of Van's with a yank. _She didn't **believe** it! _

How could he? Her breath came out in short gasps. In his defense, she had felt his shock, his feelings of repulsion, but still!

"What is it, Lady Hitomi?" Selena beseeched. "What's wrong?" 

He _knew_ she had seen it! He had felt her retreat! She barely realized that she had whipped around and was striding towards the balcony. She had no idea she could feel this humiliated! This hurt….. 

She scarcely realized Selena was hurrying after her, and Allen was trying to make his way to Selena. 

Resisting her impulse to crash through them, she quietly opened the huge glass doors. Van was turned, so he saw her coming. His eyes widened and he tried to speak….obviously not quick enough.

Hitomi tapped Serena lightly on the shoulder. She swung around in irritation

"What?" She snapped. She hardly had time to feel astonished when Hitomi fist planted itself in her face with a satisfying _crack_. 

She yelped sharply and tried to cover her profusely bleeding nose. "You little---" She began furiously. Hitomi advanced and her insult fell to an intimidated whimper. 

"Get out of here!" Hitomi yelled furiously in her face, watching her cower. Serena spun and all but ran away. She felt all the tension in her head wrap around the girl and start to squeeze, but there was a bell like ringing and it disappeared. 

She felt a hand on her shoulder. "Hitomi?" Van began hesitantly. She whipped around and tore out of his grasp.

"How could you?" She cried, her eyes furiously accusing Van. Her fist clenched and trembling. Before she realized what she was doing, Hitomi raised her hand and sharply slapped Van's cheek. 

She heard glass ring, and spun. Selena was leaning against the glass door, all the blood gone from her face, and Allen stood, fixed to the spot, gaping. That they had seen Hitomi out of control like this made her feel even worse. 

"Hitomi." She turned again slowly this time. 

"Aronic," she answered. Aronic looked so sad and disappointed.

"Hitomi, you have just proven that you cannot control your emotions. If I hadn't been here you could have used a reaction backlash to tear that girl's fate to pieces, without even realizing it, " Aronic sighed. 

"You cannot stay here. You are still a threat to Gaea's existence. It's time to go back to Earth. This time, without your memory," she finished sadly. She slipped her over shirt off and revealed a short sleeveless shirt under it. Her face furrowed for a second, then gigantic white wings flowed fluidly out of her shoulder blades. Instantly the air was filled with feathers. 

Hitomi couldn't breathe. She heard Van behind her, heard him shout silently his disbelief and betrayal to the winds. The dragon was revolting and quickly slipping out of his grasp, screaming in fury, flaming everything it it's path.

…………………………………………………. 

To Hitomi time had stopped. Everything seemed so peaceful and simple. Aronic pulled a rose colored pendent from under her shirt. Hitomi stared at the bright light that shone of the Atlantian pendent. She couldn't look away. The light was hypnotizing. 

Silence. 

Silence was good. The light was good. 

Hitomi felt like she was floating. She could not see anything. That was good. She couldn't hear anything. That was good. She was going home. That was good, too. 

__

No, something is not good, a voice in the back of her head whispered. She ignored it. She told the inner voice, that small doubt, that everything would be okay. 

__

Relax into the peace, she told it, _the silent tranquility_. 

__

No, something is NOT good. Something is NOT right, the voice nagged._ There is something we are forgetting. Someone we are forgetting. _

I don't want to remember, she told the voice. _It hurts to remember. I don't want to be hurt again. I'm tired of being hurt. _

He hurts too. 

He? She questioned the voice. Instead of an answer, impressions and exquisite sensations surrounded her. 

Sunshine. 

The smell of the field. 

Of trees in springtime. Of beautiful swirling colors. Sword roughened hands. Tiny waterfall and torrents. 

A single white feather. A gorgeous, content smile. Warmth. Security. Longing. 

Love. 

__

VAN! Van! I remember Van! It's NOT right! Where is Van? She told the voice. _I need Van! I love Van! _

****

"VAN!" She screamed. 

All of a sudden, she arched as a small sun of light burst from her chest. Her vision was blinded by light. The ground was rushing towards her, the wind roaring in her ears. 

She felt herself impact with a wet hard ground. She was clutching something with all her might. No, she was holding someone like she would never _ever_ let go. 

He was holding her too. Together they lay sprawled in the wet grass, panting, sweating and shuddering. Hitomi distantly realized she was crying, sobbing hysterically. She opened her eyes again, and the dark blotches were beginning to fade. 

Van. She was embracing Van. Hitomi was clutching the rough fabric of his red homespun shirt. She sobbed harder when she recognized him, and held him tighter. He held her just as tight, and slowly pushed them off the ground into a sitting position, not bother to untangle their legs. 

__

I'm so sorry! Hitomi sobbed into his head. _Please! I never want to do that again!_

I'll never let you go! Hitomi felt is rough erratic breathing on her neck. Van looked up from Hitomi's shoulder, stiffened in shock. 

"Is this the Mystic Moon?" He choked out.

"Earth," Hitomi breathed in wonder, finally noticing their surroundings. "We're back on Earth."

………………………………………………………………………………………

So, how's that for a chapter? I hope you enjoyed it! ; ) 

Disclaimer; I don't own Escaflowne, and no, just because I write poems to ask my readers to review, does NOT mean that I will write poems for my disclaimers. (Chibi-Bozena deletes all the poems she had started for disclaimers, casting dark looks) 

As a reviewer also requested me, no author's notes were posted in the middle of the chapter, because they 'broke up the flow' 

I've also been informed that I need a new title, and that mine was very unoriginal. (Chibi-Bozena starts to cry) So if you have any ideas please send them to me in your review. 

Please do NOT get confused about Aronic, all will be explained in due time, along with Rianne and Kyrell *Chibi-Bozena starts to panic and hyperventilate, so she goes and bakes more heart-shaped cookies*

Next chapter is coming up soon! 

P.S. Thank you so much, NachtMusik, for proof-reading and correcting my new chapter! You're the best!


	18. Chapter 18

Welcome back! Thank you so much for checking out my new chapter! 

Disclaimer; *Escaflowne theme music in the background * 

DUM DUM DUM DUM

ES-CA-FLOW-NE

I DON'T OWN IT

BUM BUM BUM BUM ^_^ …. Sigh…Yoko Kano, you are amazing! 

Hold on, readers! I feel another poem coming! AHEM……..

Now that they are back on Earth

Hitomi is back on her own turf

And I'm sure she would be hurt

And Bozena too,

If you did not review

If you do

*Chibi-Bozena kisses you and presents you with 3 heart-shaped cookies *

I'll write you……..

ANOTHER CHAPTER!!!!!!!!!!!!

And without further ado ( hey, that rhymes! ; ) Chapter 18! (Brace up, it's a big one)

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

"Where-where did they go?" Aronic heard Allen cry in the background. She didn't turn when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Lady, where did you send them?!" Selena tried to make the plea sound more like a demanded, than her begging. 

Aronic heard Merchant Dryden crash through the glass doors that led to the balcony and jolt to a stop like he had slammed into a brick wall. 

"A-a draconian!" he croaked. 

Aronic ignored all of them. _What did Rianne think she was doing?! How dare she?_

Poor, poor Hitomi. I was her last chance. Her last chance at another life. At starting over. Forgetting there ever **w**as a Gaea. She would have been free to love again. 

Now, Aronic choked. _Now, what will happen to them? I should have been quicker. Poor, brave Hitomi. She loved so freely. Gave her trust so freely. She was just a pawn to Rianne. Rianne _knew_ Hitomi would react like that if she commissioned in a slut like Serena! _

That was why I had picked this mission. I was the one who could watch over Hitomi, without Rianne's interference. The Draconians in the Mystic Valley are so aloof, so sure they are better than men are. How deluded they are. What Draconian has equal compassion to Hitomi? 

What right did **I** have, to throw that opportunist Serena in her face? To provoke her anger? If anything, she was more forgiving to her beloved than Rianne would had been. Where is the justice? That Rianne, the cruel, cold, high-handed ruler of the Draconians, would take out her entire plans of revenge on the race of men, on an innocent girl? 

Who wrote these cursed rules? Who said that Hitomi **couldn't** stay? Who created this stupid balance? Why is it that Hitomi's power disrupts that balance? Why is it that I would be the one who had to take her from her love and send her back? 

But you knew, a voice in her head commented. You knew she felt….wrong, different. You knew she had too much power to be a secure human. You knew that she collapsed the order of things. That the fate alteration machine had affected her. That no one could have that power and safely join with a Draconian, even if he wasn't a pure Draconian. 

You knew there was no way she could survive if Rianne could erupt that power and use Hitomi as her war weapon. You were going to kill her first, so that Rianne couldn't use her. You were going to use her sacrifice to make sure that the race of men could survive.

I didn't know her then! she told the voice frantically_. Now I would do anything to save her life, to make sure that she doesn't have to suffer the fate that Dornkirk condemned her to! She is so good. She keeps an innocence that you only find in children. Hitomi preserves her innocence, her faith in the good of everyone, even through war. _

They are both doomed! They can't forget, they can't survive apart, they can't stay together. Either way, the two who deserve the best of fates are stuck with this awful fate!

I'm so sorry, Hitomi. Selena is right. You are a true lady, Lady Hitomi. 

I'm so sorry, Lord Van. You trusted me, accepting me into your country. You trusted your beloved to me. You are fair and wise, and a just ruler. Strong enough to stand for peace in a war ridden world. There is no justice in this happening to you. 

If they had just let each other go! I could have saved them. Now Rianne will surely kill them. They cannot stand in her way. If only the Resistance had worked faster. 

But then…..

they never could have let each other go, could they? Rianne doesn't remember what it is like for Draconians to fall in love. She has pounded love out of our way of life. And I am just beginning to realize that loss. Hitomi and Van have something truly…..special. 'Special' is a paltry word compared to the light I see through the pendent. 

They would always remember, always…love. Their power is a strong as their love, isn't it? Aronic questioned herself. _Infinite. Their power is infinite. _She could barley grasp the idea. 

Aronic was startled back to her surroundings when a weight had buckled her knees and dragged her to the ground. Lady Selena had collapsed against her shoulder, weeping. 

The thought finally struck Aronic, as her wings slowly shrank into nothing, and Allen stood with his sword at her throat, growling because he was afraid to strike anywhere near his sister. 

__

Infinite. Infinite. The Draconians are going to fall! There was no way they could measure up to infinite power. They had lost that the possibility of infinite power when they had lost love.

…………………………………………………………………………………

Hitomi stood up, trying to brush the majority of the wet dirt off of her gorgeous white dress. Thankfully you could barley tell it had been in the dirt. She offered Van a hand up, but he brushed her assistance away. 

"I need to get back to Gaea! I _must_ get back to Fanalia!" He jumped up in a rush. "How do we get back?" 

Hitomi was annoyed. _Why is his country the first thing he always thinks about? _

Don't be ridiculous, Hitomi told herself. _It's his nature. It's his responsibility. It's nothing to get jealous about. _

"I don't know how to get back. I don't even know how we got here!" She bent to tie a shoelace, hiding her face. 

"Hnn." Van turned and looked out of the park boundaries to stare again at the city. And he stared…and stared. 

__

How can it be so big? Van asked her in shock, inquiring silently. Hitomi slowly straitened, still careful that he didn't see her face. 

She answered out loud so he couldn't hear what was going on in his head, "The City started out smaller, but after a few decades of people adding onto it's size and economy it's grown almost to the size of our capital, Tokyo. When I was a little girl the skyscrapers had just started construction. " Hitomi indicated the huge office buildings. 

"How do you reach the top? Do you climb all those stairs?" Van shook his head. The Mystic Moon looked like a mad house! All of the folk tales he had heard about it as a little boy came back to him. He looked around him. "How are the plants so strait? Why are they all the same breed? How is there a geyser out of a lake? How is a path made of stone, if the stone is not fit together? How do tress grow in a strait line? How is _light_ coming from _glass_?!" he burst with a myriad of questions. Before she could answer Van cried out, his hands fisting against his temples, rumpling his unruly black hair. 

__

Van? What's wrong?! Hitomi grabbed his fist in concern. 

__

The noise, what's inside my head? The force of his thoughts struck her, making her flinch, but she plunged forward bravely into the cause of his pain, trying to find the source.

__

Sound waves. It's sound waves, she discovered in awe. It was unbelievable! She hadn't even thought about it before. The reason Hitomi had felt so strange and light-headed in Gaea was that there was nothing, _nothing _bouncing around in the air. Hitomi hadn't even realized! Radio stations to honking cars, the waves were vibrating violently through the sensitive passage of Van's abused eardrum. 

__

Hold on, she whispered as softly as she could inside of his head. She reached underneath her beautiful dress and ripped two long strips off the fine linen. Hitomi folded the strips and pushed the cloth till it covered the opening of Van's ear, and repeated for the other one. 

Van cautiously opened his eyes. The strange vibrations were still there, but they were muted. 

__

Thank you, he offered. 

She smiled, _I guess it's a good thing we don't have to talk to speak! Hearing me would be hard! So…..what are we going to do? _Van frowned and he reached down to grab the pendent. He held it up in front of them and it swung, back and forth, back and forth, keeping time, but seemingly lifeless.

__

It seems dead, Hitomi touched to make sure. Hitomi tried to look "through" it again, but only perceived dim light and shadow. _At least I can still see Van's light, _she thought. Hitomi looked up and noticed the sky was starting to change colors. 

"It late. We can't stay out here when it gets dark." Hitomi pointed out to him. He nodded.

"Where…." Van left the question hanging. 

"Dillandua burnt my home---- we can't stay there. But….Yukari! She'll find a place for us to stay!" 

"Who----" Van started.

"My very best friend," Hitomi interrupted. "But…..you've seen her before! She was at the track with Amano." Van gave her an uncomprehending look. It reminded her of Yukari. She gently reached into his memories to touched the place where the memory should be, but….it was foggy, empty. What was going on? Yukari couldn't remember that day…now Van couldn't either? 

She couldn't think about this right now! It wasn't the time! 

"We have to go before it gets dark." Hitomi urgently pulled on his arm. Van let himself be led out of the park. Hitomi glanced at him, and let off a mental sigh. Even on Earth, Van still strode like a King and seemed to have a "used-to-being-obeyed-immediately" air around him. How strange he looked walking a park path to a street! This almost didn't seem real to Hitomi. 

__

It's a good think this street is quiet at night, Hitomi thought. _What would people think of our clothes? _

Van thought the world had turned upside down. Everything was so strange! Everything sent warning bells of in his head. It even _smelled _strange. 

The place where they where walking was a broad strip of black pavement, that wasn't quite stone. Each step he took, the black stuff absorbed his footstep and spring back. No wonder Hitomi could run so fast! He guessed they were walking on some sort of street, but there were strange white markings dividing it into sections, and who would ever do that? 

Van was amazed at what Hitomi called 'small shops.' They were huge two story houses, with window that were as tall as he was! There were actual _trees_ in the strange not-stone that paved the side of the streets. Inside the windows he could see people. They looked so alien! Why did none of them carry weapons? Van felt so awkward, he---to tell the truth, he needed to hit something…hard. 

They tried to pass a strangely dressed couple who was walking by them. Van tried to keep his eyes averted, but…the girl was hardly wearing any clothes at all! It definitely wasn't the uniform that Hitomi had been wearing when he first met her! Van wouldn't believe that _his_ Hitomi had ever worn anything so immodest. 

Before them caught site of Van and Hitomi, the couple had been cuddling and whispering to each other. They suddenly stopped and stared. The girl couldn't seem to close her mouth, Van noted. 

"Excuse me…" she faltered. "Why…your clothes are….is that a _sword?!" _she cried. Why was she so upset? But Hitomi was staring at Van's ceremonial sword too. 

Van heard her groan softly, and think rapidly. 

"Ah, its ---its a costume party!" she said brightly.

"Those are the best costumes I've ever seen," the boy next to the girl frowned. 

"Wow! It looks like it's going to be a blast!" The girl beamed at them, her demeanor changed in the blink of an eye. She waved cheerfully at them and nudged her boyfriend into following her. 

__

Oh, Van….

Why doesn't anybody carry weapons in your world? How do they protect themselves? Van was truly puzzled, unable to comprehend a world so completely at peace. 

__

It not legal! Hitomi explained anxiously. _If any patrol police saw you, they could take you to jail! _

Jail? He asked, completely confused

__

Imprison you! Hitomi illustrated frantically. _How are we going to hide it? _She worried faintly. 

"Imprison you? For carrying a sword?" Van shook his head in scathing disbelief. "It's not possible! The rebellion---" 

"Come on!" she interrupted him, tugging at his arm. " This _isn't _your world anymore. There might be more people who see you!" Hitomi tried to increase the pace, but was severely hampered by the dress. She made a small sound of frustration and brushed some tawny hair out of her eyes. _Why was Hitomi so upset? _Van wondered. _People who saw her in Gaea wouldn't have imprisoned her on sight! _

The small outlet of shops had given way to a lonely back street. The same street, Hitomi realized, that she and Yukari had used to meet Amano and 'Derian.' The view of the pier was breathtaking a sunset. She didn't realize she had stopped... It was nice to be home. She forgot how beautiful this place could be a sunset. Hitomi eyes were fixed so hungrily at the exquisite picture that she didn't hear the car till it was almost on top of them.

BEEP!!!! Van stood frozen in the middle of the road. The bizarre light blinded him, and a grinding noise deafened him. Van ripped his sword out of its sheath with a fierce battle cry. Using the other arm to shield his eyes, he knew this strange beast of the Mystic Moon would _die_ before he let it near Hitomi! 

"VAN! NO!" He heard a terrible screeching sound and the light was gone from his eyes, leaving him blinded, and seeing strange things in the dark. Van was sure he was facing his death. He would stand up bravely and face it like a king of Fanalia! Van felt a hard impact as a soft body crashed into and sent him sprawling. The rough black surface of the road rubbed the skin from his neck and he felt the wind past his face as something whooshed over his head. 

"_What the_---"

"Did you hit him?"

"Who _was _that guy?"

"Was that a _sword_?!" The doors of the car slammed as the occupant hurried over.

"Are you okay?" One of them called out, but got no reply. 

Hitomi had started to pull Van out of the road. Movement came back to his paralyzed limbs and they both made it out of the road and toppled over behind a large tree on the other side, breathing heavily.

"Where did they go?"

"I'm drunk! We shouldn't be driving."

"I didn't see anything, did you?" Van and Hitomi heard car doors slam as the teens raced back into their car and drove squealing away. 

Adrenaline still flooded Hitomi's blood. She could feel Van's heart beating at the same erratic rate as hers. Hitomi turned with a groan and thumped her fist against Van's shoulder.

__

Don't. You. Ever. Do. That. To. Me. Again! You think I could live if you died? He held her tightly, grateful for each breath, allowing her to hit him more. 

__

What was that? 

It was a car! A piece of technology! It would have killed you on impact. You can't use a sword here! She sent him a picture of a vehicle that resembled a carriage, traveling at unimaginable speeds, unable to see the small body of a boy. The impact sent his tiny body flying and Van knew there was no way he could have survived a hit that hard. 

__

He was a boy I used to know. He lived close to me. I remember playing with him, when he had just started to walk. Sorrow took the form of deep colors swirling around the words. It had been so close. Hitomi couldn't get over the feeling that her heart had stopped…she could have lost him to something as stupid as a drunk driver…

__

I promised you. I'll **always** be here to protect you, Van let his forehead rest against hers, reassuring her, sorry that she had seen that tragedy, remembering the children left parentless after the Great War. 

Hitomi took another shaky breath and push off of him, onto her knees. Van put an arm around her waist and supported her to her feet. She leaned against his strength for a minuet, grateful her was so strong. _Sigh…he's so warm…I love to feel him breathing…_

Hitomi tilted her head up, and softly kissed him on the cheek. She blew gently on one of the profusely bleeding cuts on his neck, then straitened. 

"Let's get out of here."

……………………………………………………………………………….

The Duke of Asturia took a deep breath and bellowed from the dais, "Now is the time to attack! Fanalia is weak! Strike now, before she can strike back!" 

……………………………………………………………………………..

"What?" Chid, the duchy of Fried gasped. "They're declaring open attack now? While the Queen, Princes, and Master Guildman of Asturia are there? Are they insane? It has to be a lie!"

………………………………………………………………………….

"Aronic succeeded beyond our expectations! Now we have the King and the girl isolated on Earth! This makes everything all too easy! Fate is drawing closer, Kyrell!" Rianne exclaimed jubilantly. 

…………………………………………………………………………….

"Me-ru-ru?" Keman's small voice piped up. "He's not coming back. He left with her. They're going to miss the angels. They're coming to meet everyone. His mother was an angel, you know." Merle yelped and almost dropped him.

"What?!" she exclaimed, spooked. The hairs on her tail stood up on end. But he didn't answer, just smiled at her, with little baby teeth. Another clump of dead skin fell off of his shoulder revealing a set of new, harder scales.

………………………………………………………………………………….

Dryden was astonished when Allen entered the library Dryden spent most of his time in. 

"Yes?" He snapped his book closed, intrigued. 

"I have a question to ask you," Allen grated out. 

Dryden laughed, "Well, what's stopping you?" 

Allen glared at him, "Where do you think Van and Hitomi have gone to?" 

"Well, if all the facts add up logically, I assume they're back on the Mystic Moon." Allen snorted in disbelief.

"Why would they go _back_ to the Mystic Moon?" he asked with barely disguised scorn. 

"You asked me where I thought they went, _I _don't know why! We're still not friends, right? Don't you knights know when you've gone over the line?" Dryden slammed the large tome in his hand down on the desk. 

"Dryden?" He looked up to see Selena edge her way into the library. "Oh, I'm sorry, Brother. I didn't know you were here. Can I ask a quick question? I'm sorry to disturb you, but I was wondering."

"Yes?" Dryden turned his back to them, facing the open window. 

"What will happen when Lady Hitomi gets back? Can Fanalia afford a second marriage that's not political? I understand that the late King Goau married for love also."

Dryden chuckled, "So you're a romantic too, eh?" Selena didn't say anything. 

Dryden shrugged, "Fanalia needs a political marriage, if just to prove that Van is serious about creating peace." 

"But, Van would die for Hitomi! And Lady Hitomi loves him so much. They're so miserable when they're not together." Selena looked away. 

"Maybe love will prevail. I wouldn't know, eh, Allen? I've never had a successful marriage." Allen reddened angrily.

"Millerna was forced into that political marriage! She should be able to marry whoever she pleases!" 

" Marry whom she pleases? Who would that be? You? But that's not the way it works, does it?" Dryden corrected sardonically. "And, the last time I checked, Millerna wasn't in love with anyone." The occupants of the library all looked up quickly when they heard a short expulsion of breath. Millerna was standing in the doorway, tears pooling in her beautiful amethyst eyes. 

"What right do you have, deciding who I love, and who I should marry? I'll marry when _I _am ready, when _I _fall in love! Just like Hitomi!" She fled the library. 

"Millerna!" Allen tried to run after her, but Selena grabbed his arm.

"No, Brother. Please. Let me." Selena shook her head. 

………………………………………………………………………………………

Millerna cried hard, with her hands covering her face. The garden was so pretty. Fanalia would always remind her of a green emerald. 

__

It just wasn't fair! She knew she didn't have the freedom to marry whomever she wanted too. Granted, now that her sister was queen, there was a lot less pressure on her to go to the altar. 

She was furious at Allen! No, no she wasn't. Yes, she was! Millerna was so confused. She was furious to find Allen talking behind her back…but…why wasn't she so upset about Dryden discussing whom she loves or whom she would marry? Maybe because they had already been married. 

Dryden said he loved her. Dryden had tried his best to make her happy. But…this wasn't about her anymore! She felt was so selfish. 

Millerna jumped and tried to wipe the tears off her face when she felt someone's hand on her shoulder. 

"S-Selena." What did she want? The girl with Allen's eyes dropped beside her on the bench. 

"I'm sorry," she said in her husky voice as she wrapped an arm around Millerna's shoulder and hugged her. Millerna's face crumpled and she rested her head on Selena's shoulder to cry. 

"I'm so sorry, Selena," Millerna sobbed. "I don't know why I'm so upset. I'm just so confused." A flashback struck Millerna.

__

"I need some advice, Hitomi." 

"Yeah?"

"There's this girl, and she really likes this guy, but she discovered that he was actually a….cough….playboy, he even fathered a child!"

"That jerk!" 

"…..But what about the special feeling she already had for him?" 

Another memory struck her.

__

"But I love Allen! I'm leaving the country to find him!" She could still remember the look over horror on her sister's face. 

__

"I guess you can't really change what a person did before you met them," she had told Hitomi, so long ago.

__

"Please! Don't say anything! If I hear one kind word from you, I'll rely on you, and I don't want to do that!" Millerna had said that to Allen. 

Hitomi's words had haunted her. _"Millerna, Allen is the only man for you. I'm so sorry, but it's true!" _

Millerna realized that for the past three years she hadn't forgotten this conflict, she was running from it. She had been running from Allen. And he had caught up with her. 

Selena wrapped her other arm around Millerna, "I really don't understand, but I can to help you I you want to tell me." Selena smiled her gorgeous, sun-filled smile. Her brother's smile. 

"Oh, Selena….I can't…." Millerna whispered. 

"Well, then I will tell you what _I _know." Selena spoke firmly, with the resolve of a soldier. "My Brother has not looked at a woman since the end of the Great War. He _has_ been teaching the Duchy of Fried to use a sword, in fact he's been spending a lot of time with my nephew. 

I don't know a lot about Lord Dryden. I don't know that he has spent sleepless nights, as my Brother has. I don't know that he's been al lonely as my brother has. But….I do know that _your_ feelings are the ones that matter, and I will hit anyone who tries to pressure into anything! Even my Brother," she flashed that charming, acerbic grin again. "And he _will_ probably be the one who presses the matter," Selena snickered. 

"Why, you little---" Millerna began indignantly. "How can you assume---!" 

"Peace! Peace!" Selena laughed. " You don't have to tell me anything! I just wanted you to look at whatever this situation is a little differently." Selena became sober again.

"This isn't in the middle of a war. I know what it's like from a soldiers point of view," she paused. "But not a political alliance pawn. I know how it is to be used…but not sold in that way. 

But, the war is over. Marriage doesn't have to be a terrible thing, with a complicated love/political drama. My brother and Dryden both want to court you. Enjoy it. Spend time with them. You don't have to make any kind of choices. If you're interested, get to know them." Selena stopped again, but this time only to wink at Millerna. "All is fair in love and war, but don't hurt Dryden's feelings too bad." 

"_What?!"_ Millerna stood up in a rush, red and piqued. But Selena was already laughing and halfway across the garden. Millerna couldn't help but smile. Selena was blunt, but she only meant the best. Maybe, maybe she was right. Maybe this shouldn't be a tragic drama. Maybe, maybe she was looking at this the wrong way. Maybe she was holding onto those struggles in the past…afraid to let go. Maybe it was time to stop running.

And for the first time in long, long years Millerna felt…free.

……………………………………………………………………………………… 

Yukari was the one who answered the knock at the door.

"Aaiihhhhhh!" Yukari's eyes rolled up in her head and she fainted dead away into Hitomi's unsuspecting arms. Hitomi sank down a little, and cast a baleful eye at Van. He was amused, darn him! He always picked the wrong things to find funny! He stood a bit back from her, out of the light on Yukari's porch, and made no move to come and help her with Yukari's dead weight. 

Hitomi went to her knees, painfully scraping the left one. Yukari slumped over so her head was cradled in Hitomi's lap. 

"Hitomi!" Hitomi looked up as she heard a familiar voice. 

"Ah!" All she saw was a blur of color as someone charged her, hugging her and Yukari fiercely. 

"Aoki?" Hitomi gasped in surprise. Van growled. Aoki hadn't heard him

"We were so worried about you, Kanzaki! Your house was burning and all of a sudden you were gone, with that terrible American!" He hugged her tighter. "I'm so glad you're okay!" 

Van had had enough. This wasn't funny. That _boy_ was still on top of Hitomi, and his hands were dangerously close to…to... Van strode over to wear Hitomi still lay toppled with the other girl still on her lap. He grabbed Aoki by the back of his shirt and hauled him off Hitomi.

"Ahk!" the boy cried in surprise. "Who are you?" Van shook his head. He couldn't understand a word the boy was saying. Maybe it was because the hilt of his sword was pressing into this whelp's neck. Well, Van was _not_ inclined to remove it!

"What are you saying? What language do you speak?" Van demanded. Aoki looked confused and alarmed. 

"Hitomi? Who is this guy? What language is he speaking?" Aoki asked her in confusion. 

"What?" Hitomi tried to stand up, but realized Yukari was still on her lap. "You can't underst--- Van! Stop it!"

"Yukari!" Amano rushed out of the house and fell at Yukari side. 

"What happened? Is she okay?" he demanded frantically. Then, he realized whom he was speaking to. 

"Hitomi! You're back!" He reached over to hug her. He was _definitely_ to close to Hitomi, Van decided. Van was tempted to throw up his hands and charge. Then Amano noticed Van, strange clothes, foreign look, sword, scowl, and all. 

"Kritzack efin za matt-ne graratto? Tridren!" Van demanded. "Shreeneth Dias recolas chikahara!" 

"Van!" Hitomi exclaimed. "Get a grip! He was worried about me and Yukari!" Amano stared at Van and then at Hitomi. Yukari began to stir. 

"H-Hitomi? Why are you wearing such strange clothes?" she mused slowly. Then it struck her, just like Amano. "Hitomi, you're back! I was so worried about you!" Yukari cried as she threw her arms around Hitomi's neck. 

"Who---" Yukari was looking at Van. 

"But, Yukari---" 

__

But she knows who he is! I told her! She saw him! Why doesn't she remember? 

And…why didn't Van remember Yukari? He saw her too. She was so sick of this! Why didn't anyone remember? Was she really the only one who had to carry this alone?! The pendent swung in to Hitomi's mind. And this time she ripped the fog that surrounded Yukari's memory with a yank. 

"Ouch!" Yukari cried, bring a hand to her head, but she took a closer look at Van. 

She gasped, "Oh, Hitomi! Is that him?" 

"Is that who?" Aoki butted back into their conversation. 

__

Hitomi! 

Yes? She answered Van, turning to him in surprise.

__

Why can't they understand me? 

I don't know. Could you understand them? 

No. Hitomi shook her head to clear the bleariness in her vision and yawned. 

"My god, you're exhausted!" Yukari looked at her in concern. "And we're on the ground, outside of my house!" Yukari held her hand to Amano, and he ignored it, stooped and gently picked her up. She grinned at Hitomi and winked. 

Aoki, not to be out-done, took a step towards Hitomi, but Van, who was shorter by 4 inches, glared fiercely at him and brushed him aside. 

Hitomi pushed off the ground and held a hand out, but Van ignored it too. He slid an arm behind her knees and the small of her back, and cradled her against his chest as carefully as he would have picked up Keman. Just like Amano had picked up Yukari. Aoki just stood there for a moment, not believing he was being pushed around by someone who was a half of a foot smaller than he was, and abashed by Van's "you-exist-to-make-me-look-good" air. 

Hitomi laughed at him silently in her head. 

Van sent her a rueful picture of Aoki taking one look at a land dragon in his country, and fainting. 

She giggled and rested her head against his shoulder. The last thought she had, she sent to him. She 'sent' him an exaggerated picture in which Aoki and Amano were both 3 feet taller than him. She fell asleep with a smile on her lips and with his indignant response still ringing in her ears.

…………………………………………………………………………….

Well? What did you think? If you give me some feedback, then I'll know! 

I can't wait to hear from you, and your opinions. Requests, comments, concerns? Tell me! 

I also need a new title! If you have any ideas, please mention them in your review! ^_^ 

I know this chapter was a big one, but the next one is coming soon! I hope I'll see you there! 

*Chibi-Bozena blows you a kiss good-bye and points down to your review button * 


	19. Chapter 19

Hi Readers! Welcome to my 19th chapter! I know it's been a really long time, but I've been really busy! I'm sorry it took so long, and, hopefully, life is easing up on me so I can write the next faster! I've been given some really great ideas for a new title for my fic. Pick one, and review me to tell me which one you like best! 

Love, War, and Destiny

Dragons and Draconians

* Forever and ever

Sword of the Draconians

Tears of Fate 

* My Love's Reflection

*Blood Soaked Feathers (kudos to this one!) 

Please put in the vote for the one you like best! 

Disclaimer; I OWN EVERYTHING IN ESCAFLOWNE!!! Wait…no….no, I don't own anything…legally…But I would kill to!!! Sigh….Van….*drools* 

All right, I think I feel another poem coming! 

I'm sorry it's been so long

And that this poem is not a song

Thank you for being patient with me

So please read this quickly

And tell me what you think

I'll give you a big heart-shaped cookie that is pink

And write you……… ANOTHER CHAPTER!!!! 

Thanks a bunch! ^_^ Now on to the next chapter!

………………………………………………………………………………………

__

Hitomi pulled in a long deep breath. The air was so sweet. The shade of the huge tree felt pleasant on her warm skin. The sun's warmth gently caressed her cheek. Beneath her the grass was soft. A lethargy older than time had seeped into her limbs. 

She heard a heart beat. The warm chest where her cheek lay pillowed against rhythmically rose and fell comfortingly in the deep pattern of sleep. Van lay sprawled underneath her, with his arms wrapped around her waist. She lounged on top of him, watching the patterns made by the sun of the large green leaves. If only she would dream this forever. It was a dream, right?

"In a manner of speaking," said a cool, remote voice behind her. "Here we call it Farrin' airin, but on the Mystic Moon, I suppose you might call it a 'vision,'" continued the cool voice. Hitomi turned her head, looking for the source of the voice; more movement seemed too much of an effort. 

"Who are you?" Van was awake, his breathing more erratic. Suddenly, feathers surrounded them. A beautiful Draconian woman appeared in front of them. Her hair was long and black as night, a contrast to her blinding white wings. Autocratic high cheekbones framed cold green eyes. 

"I am Rianne. I rule the last of the Draconians. I rule the ruins of the once great Atlantis." The woman turned her bitter gaze to look out at the horizon of the Mystic Valley. 

"But that's not possible! The Atlantians destroyed themselves!" Hitomi protested in disbelief. 

"No, not all of us. How do you think this boy was born if there were no Draconians left?" Rianne scathingly indicated Van who was propped against the huge Atlantis tree where Hitomi had saved him so long ago. 

"What do you want with us?" Van's hands clenched into fists, as he demanded an answer, fire flashing in his deep amber eyes. Hitomi felt the furious dragon in Van's head lashing out in violent warning.

Rianne's face contorted. "Control it!" she snapped. Bright fire lit Van's hot amber glare. Who was this woman, to order him? The proud Draconian reared up to the challenge. Both dragons' temper was on a hair trigger, balancing on the blade of a knife. Hitomi could feel savage rage tearing at the restraints of control on either side of her, pulling at her painfully. The two dragons on either side of her baited each other waiting for the first attack.

Hitomi felt a barrier collapse with a crash. "NO!" She flung a hand out against the flaring tide she felt, but could not see. Hitomi shrieked as she felt like she had been submerged into a river of scorching flames. But, this time, the pain didn't come from Van. 

Rianne had let loose the huge, powerful force! She roared in triumph, beating Van down with one terrible strike. As he crumpled, blood flowing, the fire suddenly ceased like it had never been. In the quiet aftermath, Hitomi sank to the ground in shock. Through the roaring in her ears, she heard a seductive voice.

"Hitomi, the Draconians could grant your heart's desire. You want to be with him, right? In the Mystic Valley, you could stay with him forever. Power, balance, fate, even mortality wouldn't matter anymore. Come to me, Hitomi." 

…………………………………………………….

She cried out as she bolted upright. Hitomi fell back gasping in pain. Her skin was bright red and burned. 

"Hitomi! You're awa----ahhh! Hitomi what happened? Are you _alright_?" Yukari was walking passed the room to check on Hitomi. She took a double take and rushed inside the room to Hitomi's bedside, falling to her knees, afraid to touch her. 

Hitomi started and Yukari gasped when the heard a yell and a crash in the background.

"What the…just what do you think you're doing? Ouch! Hey, calm down!" They heard a crash and a thud followed by a yelp of pain. "She's in the bedroom with Yukari!" 

__

Van, breathing heavily, appeared at the doorframe, sagging and using it to support his weight. Deep red blood dripped down from his forehead, exactly where he had been bleeding in the dream. 

"Yukari!" Amano and Aoki hurried towards the bedroom and moved warily passed Van, eyeing him darkly. There was a large bruise forming around Aoki's left eye and Amano was limping slightly. 

__

Hitomi!

Yes? she whispered back, her voice in his head terribly feint. 

_You…I was… did you hear/see at the end of the dream?_

What do you mean? 

It's Fanalia! It's under attack! The entire United Army is laying my country under siege! Didn't she show you? She told me Fanalia would burn to the ground again! Gaea is going to war again! Hitomi gasped and drew back, shaking her head at the same time. 

_No, no! I didn't see/hear anything! _Hitomi partially lied. Van wouldn't want to hear what Rianne had said to her, especially not now! 

War, again? How could that be? Who was instigating an attack against Fanalia, who had stood only for peace? Why had Van and her seen two different things? Was that even possible? 

Hitomi tried frantically to hide her speeding questions from Van. For some reason, she didn't want him to know what Rianne had said to her. 

_Or maybe you don't want him to know how tempted you are_, said a small, snide voice in the back of her head. 

__

No! No. I know it's a lie, Hitomi squashed the thought down. _I know it's not possible, but…. _And in a small corner of her head, Hitomi let herself fantasize of what could have been. A world where she and Van could be together in peace. 

She knew she couldn't stay on Gaea. Hitomi could feel that whenever she touched the pendent, a balance went wildly out of whack. A world where no one would try to separate them, where power didn't matter---where even mortality didn't matter. 

Hitomi jumped in pain when she realized someone was tugging on her injured hand. 

"Hitomi? Hitomi! Please tell us what happened!" Yukari shook her once more. 

"I---I really don't know, Yukari." Hitomi stared at her burnt hand in wonder. Then Van was at her side, "Hejdo aguassisiim! Nevism shelm par yriptisan Hitomi. Ka iknego otagira!" he shot, frustrated, at Aoki. Aoki stood with his mouth open in confusion. Hitomi whipped around to glare at Van, then turned with an apologetic look at Aoki. 

"Aoki? Van would like you to _please_ get some water, clean bandages, and…." Hitomi's brow furrowed in confusion and she tried to illustrate something with her hands. She muttered, "Glar leaves? They don't exist on Earth, Van." 

"And salve," Hitomi finished. Amano sat down with a thump on Yukari's pretty white whicker chair. Yukari knelt beside him and rested her head on his shoulder. "It's just so bizarre, Yukari," Amano muttered to her. 

"I know," she whispered back. "I don't understand either." Hitomi tried to politely ignore them. She reached into the pocket of her school coat and pulled out a handkerchief. She motioned to Van and he gave a long-suffering sigh, as he obligingly leaned forward while Hitomi gently wiped away the worst of the blood spattering his face. 

"I don't understand, Van. I've never been hurt in a vision before. What ever happens is never there when you wake up." Hitomi's faced was etched in worry. Amano shifted restlessly behind her.

"If Yukari won't ask for an explanation, I will, Hitomi," Amano told her stiffly, cradling Yukari's head. "We deserve an explanation! Yukari has been sick with worry!"

"I'm so sorry, Amano. Yukari. I just….don't want to see you hurt. I don't want to ask you to believe something that seems impossible." Hitomi gazed down at her hands, which were clutching Van's. Yukari smiled.

"Well, Hitomi, _I don't_ believe it. I guess you're just going to have to convince me! But…if you're not up to it…I could always ask him to explain!" Yukari grinned acerbically and pointed to Van. 

Hitomi grinned, "Trust you, Yukari! But---I'll try to explain, but please…I've never—never tried to…." 

"Try me." Yukari crossed her arms. 

"Okay," Hitomi was dubious. "But, I guess it started with this." Hitomi reached forward and unclasped the pendent from around Van's neck. He bent his head forward so she could slip the chain over his head. 

Amano gasped as the pendent swung in the air. "But, that's----!" Yukari elbowed him. 

"It was my grand-ma's. It has powers. It can create a pillar of light that transports you to a different world!" Hitomi stared at the pendent swinging back and forth. Amano looked skeptical. Van snarled at him. 

"The world is called Gaea. That night I was running for Amano (Hitomi tried to stifle a blush and failed miserably) Van tried to slay a dragon. You were there." She looked puzzled at Yukari and Amano. 

"I don't understand why you don't remember. Yukari sprained her ankle, remember? When Van killed the dragon, we were both sent back to Gaea. But then Zaibach came, and burned Fanalia to the ground! And they killed Balgus! And then when Van resurrected Escaflowne, and we met Allen, Zaibach burned the Asturian outpost down, and---and---" Hitomi stopped her passionate explanation with a jolt. Van was trying to stifle a grin. 

"What's so funny?" she demanded. Hitomi glanced over at Yukari and Amano. They were both dumbstruck for about two more seconds.

"What the----"

"A _dragon_?"

"Who's Zaibach?"

"What is Fanalia? What do you mean it was burned to the ground?"

"Who's Balgus?"

"What in the world is Escaflowne?" 

"_Resurrected?_"

"Who is Allen? Asturian?" 

"What are you talking about? Do you actually expect us to believe that?" Amano asked scornfully. Van stopped laughing, but before he could do anything, Yukari stood up with her hands on her hips and cuffed Amano on the head. 

"Don't act blind, Amano! You have proof right in front of you!" Yukari gestured to Van. "Look at him! Do you recognize that language he speaks? How come only Hitomi can understand him? Have you ever seen clothes like the ones they were wearing? He has a _sword, _for goodness sake!" Yukari gave Hitomi a stern look that said "continue and do it more slowly!" 

"Van is the King of Fanalia. Fanalia is a country on Gaea," Hitomi continued cautiously. "Zaibach was a country that was trying to destroy all of Gaea. After Van was crowned Zaibach came in their guymelefs and…" Hitomi paused when Yukari raised an eyebrow. She considered, than sent a flashing thought to Van.

_What would they understand for guymelef? _He thought then sent her an idea. 

__

Oh! Thank you. 

"A guymelef is a weapon. It's a huge suit of armor that reacts to a pilot's will. When Zaibach's guymelefs attacked, Van….woke up his guymelef Escaflowne. We ended up meeting ---a lot of people---trying to fight this war," Hitomi glanced down, a little ashamed. "I spent most of the time trying to find a way back home. But, in the end, we defeated Dornkirk,"-Hitomi received another look- , "Um…the emperor of Zaibach. After that I… I had to go back to Earth." Hitomi trailed off.

"Wait," Amano frowned. "Had to go home? You didn't want to? (Yukari sent him one of those _Men-are-so-slow-about-these-things _looks) Is that…is that why you never used your tarot cards?" he continued. 

Hitomi bent her head so Amano couldn't see her burning eyes. "I…I could see the future with them, Amano. But….my anxiety would always choose the worst outcome. I—I caused so much death! Zaibach tried to use me to…" A tear splashed onto Hitomi's burnt red hand, stinging terribly. Van sent Amano a look that would have melted rock, and put his arms around Hitomi, gently cradling her. She gratefully leaned into him for support, her forehead resting on his shoulder. 

"There is a race on Gaea called the Draconians," Hitomi's voice was muffled against Van's chest. "We thought they had destroyed themselves, but we were wrong. I think that they are trying to start another war. I think---I think they must be tired of being demons. I guess no one realized that the Draconians had banished themselves when they created Gaea. They knew that they couldn't be gods again without fate repeating itself." 

__

Of course, Van thought. _Blind! We were completely blind! That's how Dornkirk….how mother…._

"Oh, Hitomi! Why didn't you tell anyone?" Yukari reached out to her and Van relinquished one hand. 

Hitomi gave Yukari a dry look, "What was I supposed to say? You hardly believe me now! Besides, it wouldn't have made any difference. I still can't…" 

__

Stay in Gaea. With Van. 

There was a huge clatter as Aoki dropped everything he had been carrying. Before anyone had realized his intentions, Aoki pick the wooden tray and heaved it at the wall. Van jumped up with a cry, reaching for a sword that wasn't there. 

"Aoki, please!" Hitomi beseeched him when she saw his betrayed expression. How long had he been listening? 

Hitomi felt terrible. She hadn't wanted to involve him in this. He had always been her little brother's best friend, and she knew he idolized her. Puppy love. Hitomi hadn't thought how hard it would be for him. For all he had known his best friend and first crush were dead with the rest of her family. And now he found out that they were probably trapped on a world that didn't exist. And that Hitomi, who he idolized, was in love with someone else. 

"Prove it. Prove it! I DON'T BELIEVE YOU!" he screamed, hurling a pitcher of water in her general direction. As if in slow motion, Hitomi saw the heavy porcelain heading strait for her head, she felt…oh, no! He wouldn't! 

_Van! DON'T!_ _It's not worth… _

With a terrifying scream of savage rage, the dragon arched his back and the huge white wings erupted from his shoulder blades. His beautiful glowing feathers made the air thick. Van slammed the pitcher out of the air, sending it to explode against the wall. A strange gasping keening scream came from the corner of the room. Yukari was cowering, terrified, behind Amano who was standing in front of Yukari but looked like he was going to feint. 

Van's eyes were dark, and his shoulders heaved. The remains of his ripped red tunic were drenched in sweat. He radiated an out of control, murderous power. Van took a menacing step forward, towards Aoki. The ground shook, and the room seemed to be falling apart. Gusts blew through his night black hair violently, and the powerful muscles of his back and his wings clenched and flexed. 

Aoki looked like he had seen death. He shook, unable to move a step, like a cornered animal of prey. One of Van's hands clenched and he raised the other with no weapon in it. Van didn't need a weapon. As soon as his crazed glare locked with Aoki's terrified one Aoki was blasted back into the hallway by some unseen force. 

__

No. One. Will. Hurt. Hitomi. 

"VAN! I'm fine! No, please!" Hitomi flung herself at Van. She threw her entire weight at him and his arms closed around her convulsively. 

"No, please! I'm fine, Van. I'm okay! Please, Van. You don't have to do this! I _know_ you will regret this. Please. Please! You're not like her. You are _not_ Rianne." She felt the furious beserker leave her beloved. Hitomi discovered her face was wet with tears. A drop of water splashed onto her cheek. Hitomi looked up into Van's tortured amber gaze. Soon all she could see was bright amber slits hidden by thick dark lashes that sparkled with tears. Van tilted his head down till his forehead was pressed against hers. 

They stayed like they for a long, long time. 

……………………………………………………………………………

"Allen! Allen! BORTHER!!! Where are you?" Selena ran through the wood-sided hallways. A door slid open and her blond brother stepped quickly into the hallway.

"Selena? What is it?" Allen's brows drew together in concern. Selena doubled over gasping for breath. 

"We're----under attack! ----Fanalia is---boxed in! The United Nations---has us----surrounded!" Selena wheezed. 

"_What?!_" Allen shouted. "Selena! Take over guard duty! I'm reporting to Sharazad!" Allen took of at a run and Selena paused, casting a sour expression at his retreating back, then opened the door to the room Allen had been guarding.

"Hello, Selena." 

"Aronic." Selena looked everywhere but at the Draconian woman. 

"I've missed seeing your smile everyday," Aronic smiled sadly at Selena. Selena's eyes snapped to Aronic's sharp eyes.

"Why didn't you just _summon _me to you? You didn't mind sending Lady Hitomi to anywhere you pleased!" Selena spat. 

Aronic sighed, "Selena----." She shook her head, and switched to a dangerous topic. "How many times have you seen a Draconian's wings?" 

"What?" Selena asked in complete confusion. "Only you, I guess….um….Lord Van, also." 

Aronic turned to look out the window, from the small bench where she sat. "And when did you learn that Van was a Draconian?"

"I had heard rumors," Selena looked down. "But I didn't want to believe them. The---the first time I saw Lord Van's wings was the day I first met you." There was a long pause. Aronic gave a small smile when the sunlight played gently against her face and she heard a birdsong in the distance. 

"Do you believe that the Draconians are demons? That we are completely evil?" 

Selena stuttered, "Well---I---I was brought up to believe that the Draconians were so evil, that they entranced my father and he left us for them….that's what my brother said. But after meeting Lord Van, I know it can't be true." 

"Selena-----," Aronic stood up and approached her slowly. She firmly placed her hands on Selena's slumped shoulders. "Sometimes I takes more strength to believe in someone than to fight and dismiss them so easily." (A/N; I am _so _stealing Allen's lines!) 

Selena's head snapped up, "But that's what my –brother says!" 

"Gaea was built by the strength of will. If you believed, maybe this would all turn out well in the end." 

"I don't understand," Selena cried in frustration, ripping out from Aronic's grasp. "_What _may turn out well in the end?" 

"Thousands of years ago, the Atlantians lived on the Mystic Moon," Aronic began in a soft voice. "They had a machine that turned their thoughts into energy. But they became too powerful. They were omnipotent and still wanted more power. In the end, they destroyed themselves. But---It seems that it wasn't known that a few Draconians survived. After the creation of Gaea, we transported ourselves to the newly made Gaea." 

"Unfortunately, we realized when we arrived, that if we stayed, history would repeat itself. We would become gods over men once again and Gaea would be consumed too. So, our leader Rianne made the decision that we would live as man's demons, banished forever from our rightful home. 

For 380 years we were content to live as such, until---," Aronic paused and sighed. "You must realize how powerful a Draconian is. As powerful as we are alone, our power is tripled when we find a love to share our lives with. When our leader, Rianne, left Earth, she was life-bonded to a Draconian named Guyan. 50 years after we had arrived on Gaea, a mortal man killed Guyan. Rianne has become a warrior of revenge ever since. She wants to destroy the world of men and take our rightful place in Gaea. 

Not all of the Draconians agree with her. There is a secret group called 'the Resistance' that sends agents like me under Rianne. I discovered that she transported a mortal man, Isaac Newton, known as Dornkirk, and given him the designs of the Fate Alteration Machine. It was beyond even her! I had no idea she would be so foolish just to strike back at the race of men! 

It turns out that her careful planning was destroyed, when an up-start king and a girl from the Mystic Moon somehow defeated the machine. For the last 3 years, her new target has been Lord Van and Lady Hitomi. She used the original Fate Alteration Machine to resurrect Dillandua, to watch and eventually separate Hitomi from Van and capture her. (Selena's eyes widened) 

Rianne is going to attack the unguarded back of Gaea's people while they are distracted by the war starting now. She is going to capture Hitomi and torture her to the point where Rianne can erupt Hitomi's Destiny Recoil on all the armies she has grouped in one spot with her traitors and spies." Aronic paused, saying softly to herself, "Oh, Hitomi. I'm so sorry. I just don't understand. How could you be so powerful? Just an ordinary girl. How can someone with the powers of a Draconian inhabit a weak human body? It just doesn't make sense!" 

Selena's mouth moved but no sound came out. She groped behind her and found the bench by the window in which she sunk into. 

One random thought came into focus, "You were there? 380 years ago? _Just how old are you?!_" 

"Oh!" said Aronic, looking surprised. "Didn't you know? Draconians have a life span of 3,000 years. I am 1,804 years old."

………………………………………………………………………………….

"Commander!" Gaddes shouted. "It's about time!" 

"Gaddes, report." Allen shaded his eyes with a hand. The sun was shining directly on the outpost, making the armies in the distance ominous shadows. 

"It's all of the countries from the Great War. Even Asturia is out there!" Gaddes gestured in anger and disbelief. 

"_What?_ Impossible! Queen Eris and Princess Millerna are here, in Fanalia! Who in the world could order an attack without them?"

"That's not all," Gaddes plunged on. "Look who is leading the siege," He spat in disgust. Gaddes held up a long brass spyglass off the table next to him and handed it to Allen. "Right there."

Allen stared into the glass where Gaddes had pointed. "No! Bastard!" Allen pounded his fist on the table. "It's them!"

The contrasting blond and black heads of Serena and Riven were standing in front of the collected forces, leading the siege. 

……………………………………………………………………………..

Hitomi sighed and put down her empty tea glass back on the table. She leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes. The sun was just warm enough to be pleasant on her still tender skin. 

She, Yukari, Amano, Aoki and Van were all sitting at the patio of The Colored Parrot. It was hard to believe that it was only this morning that terrible dream, and ….everything else. Leave it to Yukari to be the one to try and brighten everything up. This outing had been her idea. Well, it had helped to relieve some of the tension between Van and Aoki. 

Speaking of whom…. Van was looking distinctly uncomfortable, especially in Amano's borrowed clothing. He looked so handsome, Hitomi couldn't help but thinking, with his disheveled black hair and unusual brooding eyes. Van was just borrowing a track jacket and some jeans, but somehow he seemed to keep his dark, charming air of a King. 

Answering Van's questions had given Hitomi special pleasure. Right now he was fascinated by a small plate set in front of him. The waitress had caught him staring at it and she had just smiled and brought it over. It was just Japanese china, but she winked and said, "A foreigner, eh? He can look at it for a while! The boss won't mind 'cause she sure loves the cute ones!" The saucy girl winked again. Hitomi had turned a violent red, but Van had been completely oblivious (he didn't understand Japanese) and had given her a sheepish smile back.

"How is it so smooth?" 

"What?" Hitomi asked absently. She hadn't been listening.

"How is the plate so smooth?" Van asked again. 

Hitomi thought for a moment, "Well, they are made by…um….machines that sand each piece smooth. They used to be hand made." Van nodded gently tracing the design with a finger. 

"Will you tell him to stop?!" Aoki hissed. Yukari elbowed him. 

"So," Amano put his elbows on the table and leaned forward. "What are you going to do now?" 

"What do you mean?" Hitomi asked uncomfortably. 

"He can't stay here," Amano glanced at Van. "He doesn't even _want _to stay. If he goes, will you go with him? I mean, your family--" Hitomi's eyes became bright and Amano looked embarrassed at his own tactlessness. 

"I---I don't know, Amano." Van's attention fell off of the plate and focused on her. "We…we can't be separated, but I just…just _can't _be on Gaea, no matter if I wanted to be there or not. I'm too much of a danger to everyone there. Besides, right now, I don't even know if we _can_ get back." The angle of Hitomi's shoulders dropped even lower. 

"Oh! Oh! Hi!" A girl who looked strangely familiar was waving at their table. She tapped a boy next to her on the shoulder and pointed at Van. She ran over tugging the boy along after her, with a group of friends following. 

"Wow! It's you, right? The ones from the costume party?" she asked with a grin. 

"Oh!" Hitomi's eyes flew wide. "Y—Yes." 

"They were some of the best I've ever seen! Where did you get your sword?" The girl asked Van, blushing a little bit. "He's so adorable!" she whispered in Yukari's ear. The boy she was with looked affronted, then he turned to Van. 

"Yeah, it looked so real!" Van looked completely lost, glancing back and forth suspiciously at the girl and the boy. 

The girl blinked, "Doesn't he understand?" Van chose _that_ point to speak. 

"Ialamaf t'nseod dnatsrednu? Aidty leintras zmxnv," he burst out. Hitomi jumped and slapped a hand over his mouth.

"He—he doesn't understand Japanese! A…um….foreign exchange student!" Hitomi blushed guilty. 

"Really?" Asked the girl, even more intrigued. "Oh, how stupid of me! I should introduce myself. I'm Hikaru and this is Kazuki! Where do you come from?" she asked Van. 

__

Uh-oh! Gotta think fast! 

"Sri Lanka." Hitomi stared at Aoki. "It's an Arabic language." What was Aoki doing?

"Really?" Kazuki asked incredulously. "They have an exchange program?" 

You could see the lightning fast thoughts speed through Aoki's head. "Yes, it's an American program. He also is learning English!" Aoki tried a friendly smile. The girl squealed excitedly. 

"For real?! I just bought a CD in English!" She reached into her backpack and pulled out a silver CD player. "Maybe he can translate!" The girl pulled the headphones out to and reached to put them into Van's ears. 

Van shouted and leapt back, toppling the chair and falling backwards with a thump. His had groped at his side comically, looking for a sword that wasn't there. 

"Whoa! Are you okay?" The girl tried to rush forward, but Van just fled farther backwards. 

"Hitomi! Csrypta!" Van shouted at Hitomi. Hitomi made frantic shushing motions with her hands, then looked around for something to throw. He was making a _scene_ for goodness sakes! She spotted the empty tea mug.

"Van, catch!" And she tossed the cup in his direction. Van snagged the cup, forgetting Hikaru for an instant, intent on saving the precious pottery. A second was all Hitomi needed. She was at his side, yanking on his arm. 

"I'm sorry! I guess it's just confusing for him! There is a compact translator in my bag. We'll go get it." Hitomi smiled and left the shocked couple and her friends in the dust. She quickly made her way through the back of the restaurant, tugging Van behind her. It was the exact same way she had taken to escape Dillandua. 

Hitomi burst out of the backdoor of the restaurant. "What were you doing?" she demanded. 

"_What?!_" Van growled indignantly. 

"She wasn't trying to hurt you, Van!" He grit his teeth and clenched a fist. 

__

I'm sick of this! I want to go back to Gaea! I need to get back to Fanalia!

What am I supposed to do? 

I don't care what you do! Just get me out of this crazy place!

How am I supposed to do that? Hitomi demanded furiously

__

How did you get to Gaea in the first place?! Van was breathing hard. Hitomi wasn't breathing at all.

__

I don't know. Dilandua had just attacked my family, and burnt my house to the ground. Emotion was gone completely from Hitomi's voice now. All the doors in her head were sealed off against Van. Van looked abashed. 

__

Hitomi. I—I didn't mean… 

It's fine! Hitomi interrupted abruptly. She strode forward and grabbed one of his hands. She placed it exactly where the white draconian feather hung around her neck and pressed her palm into the pendent around his neck. Hitomi didn't really understand what she was doing, but she had this feeling…

__

Take us back to Gaea! Hitomi thought fiercely.

__

I want to go back to Gaea! 

TAKE US NOW! Van cried. 

Blinding light. There it was the pillar of light! But…it wasn't taking them up, it was bringing someone down. Hitomi gasped and stepped back. 

"It's you!" Rianne stood before them. Her wings filled all available space and her beautiful billowing robes blew out behind her. She was even more breath taking in person, with her long shining back hair and her bright acid green eyes contrasting so starkly with the glowing white of her wings.

She smirked, "Almost. It was a worthy attempt." 

"What do you want?" Van demanded, his hand groping for a hilt of a sword. 

"Why, you of course. I think it would be best if you both came with me." 

"Why should we?" Hitomi cried in a shrill voice. Rianne frowned.

"Hmm…." She sighed and waved her hand. "Because if you don't I will kill all of your loved ones." All of a sudden Yukari, Amano and Aoki were in the back alleyway with them. Then---they were gone…

"No!" Hitomi ran forward at Rianne.

"Hitomi!" Van bolted after her. Then they all vanished in the unearthly blue light. 

…………………………………………………………………….

How's that for an ending, eh? Like I said, I'm really sorry for making you guys wait this long! I promise the next chapter will be out sooner! 

Disclaimer; No, I don't own it…yadda yaddy yadda, and yes, *Van, drool * 

I would appreciate it so much if you would review! I'm with you! I can't wait to see what happens to Van and Hitomi! (who knows what those Draconians are up to?) 

See you there!

P.S. Thank you so much, Nachtmusik, for proof reading my story! You are a true friend! *Chibi-Bozena and Chibi-Van BOTH blow you a big kiss! * ^_^


	20. Chapter 20

Well, I have to admit that I was going to abandon this story.  You could say that I hit a roadblock as an author.  (Roadblock? More like the Great Wall of China!)  I guess I have to apologize to all the readers who I lost because they got fed up with me.  Sorry, guys! Anyways, a couple of insistent friends of mine convinced (threatened to either stalk me for the rest of my natural life or give me a deadly computer virus) *aHEM * …convinced me to finish this story.  

          Unfortunately, I faced another set back.  T_T  After 5 months, I finally had written the next chapter for this fic and my computer buggered up and deleted it! Sorry, but you guys are reading version two! ^_^;;  (BTW, I suspect sabotage from a certain friend of mine who is a computer freak….yeah, you know who you are.  I KNOW WHERE YOU LIVE!) 

          So, I'll shut up and let you read.

…………………………………………………………………………..

          Hitomi tried to groan, but her throat was too soar to constrict.  She ached all over and something hard was cutting into the back of her head.  She tried to crack an eyelid, but she squeezed it back shut when the bright piercing light around her assaulted her already abused eyes. 

          Hitomi let go of the breath she was holding.  The only thing that kept her awake was the nagging feeling that she was forgetting something.  She paused.   Her name was Hitomi Kanzaki.  _Okay, so far, so good.  _She lived pretty close to Tokyo, Japan.  She had a mother, a father, and a little brother, but she hadn't seen them in a long while.  She remembered telling Van once how annoying her little brother was…

_Oh. My. God._   Now Hitomi wished that she hadn't remembered.  Memories of returning to Earth with Van, the dream, trying to get back to Gaea, and Rianne played over and over on the inside of Hitomi'' eyelids.  

_She had to get up---NOW!_

As she blindly began to brace an arm behind her, Hitomi heard something rustle.  She froze.

_Oh, no!_ There was someone in here with her! Footsteps were approaching her.  When something cool brushed against her forehead, Hitomi jerked and tried to stifle a scream.  Suddenly, the still painful light that had been leaking through her eyelids receded.  Surprised, Hitomi opened her startling green eyes…blinked several times…

The man was still in front of her, even after she blinked repeatedly, convincing Hitomi that she wasn't hallucinating. He was the most beautiful person she had ever seen.  His bright, silky blond hair framed translucent skin and high cheekbones.  Hitomi felt drawn into the deep whirlpools of his eyes, the color of the sea after a violent storm.  A tiny smile curved perfectly shaped lips as the man reached forward to touch her face. 

"It will be alright.  You're not alone here," he said softly in her ear.  Her skin tingled where he touched her.  Hitomi snapped her gaze out of his and gasped.  He had _wings._  Huge, white, blindingly bright wings.  Not an angel, he was a---

"Draconian!" Hitomi choked out.  A graceful feather drifted by her cheek and she could have sworn that he winked. Seeing Van's wings had left her speechless in awe and wonder, but actually being face to face with a real Draconian…there weren't words to describe how she felt.  She felt awed…dirty…elated…terrified.

Out of no where, Hitomi heard a distant impatient pounding, like someone banging a table on a stone floor.  Distaste flashed on the Draconian's face and his expression completely changed.  His once warm eyes were as cold as ice.  He whipped around and opened a door behind him that Hitomi hadn't noticed before.  He bowed in the doorway.

"She's awake isn't she?"  A melodious voice range out.  The blonde Draconian nodded, bowed and turned again to Hitomi.  

Hitomi had recognized that voice and realized that she didn't want to go anywhere near that next room.  Her guardian approached her, wrapped his arms around her waist and roughly hauled her up.  Suddenly, Hitomi was swaying on her own two feet.  A rough shove sent her stumbling through the doorway and into the next room.  Only the thought that Van might be in trouble, that Van might _need_ her gave Hitomi the strength to pick up her foot and set it in front of the other, heading towards Rianne.

…………………………………………………………………

The girl stumbled pathetically towards her, her face whiter than young Darik's robes behind her,  her bright emerald green gaze blurry and unfocused.  Darik's face looked impassive and uncaring, but Rianne could see he was tense incase the young girl should fall. The different dimension that the Draconians had adapted to was obviously taking its toll in the human's strength and mortality.  With each step that she took, Rianne could she the ebb and flow of this cursed time leeching away her strength.  

"W-why?  Why are you do-doing this?"  Rianne could hear Hitomi's gasping breaths from where she sat at the end of the long marble hall.  Even though the hall was illuminated with the unearthly light of the Draconians, she still squinted and lurched around like it was the middle of the night.  

"Where is my family?  Where are my friends?" Hitomi's voice was weak.  "Where's Van? Why are you starting a war on Gaea?  What about Riven? And Serena? Keman? Aronic?"  Her voice was growing a little stronger.  Rianne's deep green eyes narrowed, and she arrogantly tossed her silky, midnight hair over her shoulder. 

"With each breath you waste, you loose a few precious seconds in which you body can hold up in our dimension." Hitomi slowed to a stop, her hands braced against her knees, sweat dripping from her face a she gabbed for breath.  She tried to focus her double vision on the looming obstacle in front of her.  You could she her fear as Hitomi realized what she was looking at.

"_Why do you have the Fate Alteration Machine? _What you're doing is wrong! It's so wrong!" Rianne's breath hissed out, as her face contorted in rage.  How dare that little girl, that _human_, one of those who had exiled her race to a cursed existence in a land hostile to life, who had killed her love lecture _her _on what was right and what was wrong? 

"Bring him out!" she barked out over her shoulder.  From the door behind her came a scuffle and a yell, the sickening sound of a fist impacting flesh and a crash.  The door crashed open and out staggered a bent and beaten form.  Blood dripped out from under his wild black hair and his red amber eyes were bloodshot, swollen shut and hazy.  After a few steps, the fallen king crashed to his knees.

A strangled sob was dragged out of Hitomi as her heart broke.  Suddenly, strength infused her limbs and she broke into a staggering run towards her fallen love.  Rianne looked aloof and amused.

"Catch her," she ordered imperiously to Derik.  The blond Draconian leaped forward and captured Hitomi's shoulders in an unnaturally strong grip.  In a burst of desperate, adrenaline fueled strength, Hitomi ripped away from Derik's grasp.  The movement was too violent, and Hitomi collapsed flat on her face.  

Rianne strolled over to Van's side.  She reached out an elegant white hand to tilt his face up to hers. 

"Where is your pride now, halfling?" Rianne taunted the beaten king.  "Why don't you try to show us your wings again, half-blood?"  The ruler of the Draconians yanked the rose colored stone from around her neck and shoved it in Van's face.  There was a bright flash of light and Van cried out in pain with his broken voice.  His now bloodstain wings burst from his shoulder blades.  

"STOP IT!" Hitomi screamed.  Rianne shot a look at Derik and he clamped a hand over her mouth.

Rianne was fascinated with the stark contrast between the glowing white feathers and the deep red of Van's blood.  She looked at Van thoughtfully for a long minuet, then turned to Hitomi's blonde guardian. 

"Derik." He bowed.  "I want all of our people to see this.  Everyone." 

"Everyone had already assembled and is waiting for your command, Highest," Derik replied blandly.  Rianne didn't know whether to look annoyed or amused. 

"Let's cut straight to the chase," Rianne sneered at Van, enjoying every second of her sweet revenge.  "I have your lover, her family and her friends.  I am going to through all of them in there," she pointed at the Fate Alteration Machine. "An extremely long and tortured death.  Or ---I could throw you in alone."  She noticed her hand, still cupped around Van's broken jaw.  She shifted her grip and yanked cruelly on his hair.  

"You—would return Hitomi---to---her home?" Van rasped out with his broken voice, unable to raise his eyes from the hard marble floor.  

"No!  Van, don't do it! You—you're a king first! What about Fanelia? You can't abandon them!" Hitomi twisted her mouth away to cry out.  Rianne jerked around in fury.  In a few quick strides, she had crossed the hall over to  Hitomi and backhanded her sharply.

"Shut up." Rianne said coldly, as Hitomi saw stars.  Rianne stared down at the dazed girl.  She didn't have much longer, she surmised.  In fact, she was surprised the human's had resisted so long.  If she wanted to get this finished with, she had better hurry.

A low murmuring filled the room.  The walls were lined with angelic faces of Draconians, their awe-inspiring presence filling the room.  _You know_, Hitomi thought.  _They're not too much different from the people of Gaea.  Sure they look different and they have different abilities...but you can't just call them "The Draconians." They each are different, like humans.  Everyone had their own personality, their own good traits and bad traits._

"Well?  Do you agree?  If you willingly throw yourself into the Fate Alteration Machine, I am bound by the laws of my people.." Rianne paused. "And your _mother's_ people, to honor my word."   Van turned slowly to look at Hitomi.  Something was tickling at the back of her mind.  Hitomi realized what it was and opened the "door" to the "bridge" between her mind and Van's mind with a yank. The pain of Van's physical injuries washed through her in waves and she shuddered.  Hitomi refused to cry out.  Not when Van was silent.  

Please, Van. Please. Don't 

_I have to_

_No! That's just what she wants you to think. If you do, I'll…I'll jump in after you!  _

_Hitomi! _His angry voice made her flinch.  _Do you really want your mother to die? What about your brother?_

_What about Fanelia? What about Merle? _Hitomi couldn't feel anything from Van but resolve.  Any kind of feeling what so ever was locked away from her.  They both had so much to loose, but…

_Oh, Van…we're being so selfish! _There.  Hitomi could feel his surprise.  _Even if you do… die, what about the people Rianne will destroy after?  Even if my family, my friends, even if I'm safe---she'll still make the children who loose their parents to her self-centered plans suffer.  I don't want to see another child suffer like you, Van. _Then, there was nothing.  No pain, no hope.  Nothing.  Hitomi felt numb, like this wasn't really happening. 

The cold of the nothingness shocked her to her very core and snapped Hitomi  back to her  surroundings.   She gasped. Van teetered on the edge of a platform, directly above the Fate Alteration Machine.  

"All of you stand witness to this _King's_ word?"  Even though Rianne words were formed in a question, no one doubted the demand underneath.  

_No way I'm just going to sit here.  _Hitomi took a deep breath and stood.  She _would_ get to Van's side.  She_ would  end_ this terrible nothingness.  Hitomi _wanted_ to feel the pain she knew was coming.  Anything would be better than this aching cold.  

There was a strange strength in knowing you had none.  It was like Hitomi was on autopilot.  She didn't even think about what she was doing.  She plunged into that dark coldness where the link between her and Van was.  Hitomi embraced him, embraced the terrible numbness inside of him, embraced his hopeless feelings of failure.  She wrapped her arms as tightly around him as she could, realizing that without realizing it, she had reached Van on top of tower. (An; tower? Kind of like a suicidal diving board) She fiercely sealed her mouth on his, as fiercely as she had sealed their minds.  __

_If we are going to die, _Hitomi thought. _ We are going to die together.  I won't let him go alone.  _And in the very farthest corner of the numb nothingness, Hitomi heard a soft whisper.

_Thank you._

_…I love you_

_                …good-bye_

………………………………………………………..

Abruptly, Aronic straitened and turned to the small boy who had tottered up behind her.  

Her dark eyes flashed as she said, "It's time to go back home, Kemen."  The small boy yawned and giggled, showing sharp pointed teeth.

…………………………………………………………..

Don't worry! Don't hurt me! The other chapter will be posted! I think it'll be the last one! That's right people, we're on the conclusion! Oh, and for all of you who are worried and ready to kill me, let me tell you that I am a firm believer in HAPPY ENDINGS! ^_^;;  (I know! I seriously was crying while I was writing this! Pathetic, I know…)

Anyway, I know I don't deserve it, but please review!  I mean, your reviews are the light in my lamp, the gas in my ford, the happy in my happy meal,  the cream filling of my double stuffed Oreo (copyright), the beer in my Red Wings hockey game,  the keys to my car,  my glasses on the last reading test,  the happy little hobbit who gets over his bad boy ring,  …whoa…now I'm just getting weird….

To sum it up,  please review, please look for the next chapter!


	21. Chapter 21

Hey, guys! I know! I deserve to be locked in a box and thrown into the Atlantic Ocean for not writing for so long and then giving such a bad cliffhanger! Well, just like I promised! Welcome to the 21st chapter! I'm sorry the last chapter was so short and had a less than satisfying ending…^_^;; 

Disclaimer: Man, it's been forever since I've written one of these! HAHAHAHA! Yes! I own all of the Escaflowne characters! * WHACK * (Bozena nurses a large bump on her head while her shoulder angel stands in the background with a large Shinai) …I don't own anything from Escaflowne…*sweatdrop * *glare * 

'Kay, I'll shut up now so you can get to the good parts. BTW, I love you, Coudygirl7!

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"Selena!" Allen crashed through the doors, his sky blue eyes flashing intensely. "Millerna needs your help. The countries surrounding Fanelia have attacked…under Zaibach's flag. Wounded are already being brought to the medical center." Allen stopped abruptly and realized that he was speaking to thin air. He had sent Selena to guard Aronic, right? But the chamber room that had served as the Draconian's cell was empty. 

Allen suddenly heard a small sound. He whipped around, ripping his sword from its sheath. 

Selena was curled up in a corner of the room, crystalline tears running down her cheeks.

"Selena! What happened?" Allen rushed towards her. A hiccup shook her chest and she quickly dashed a hand across her eyes. 

"Big brother…" Selena collapsed into his open arms. "It's Aronic! She was innocent! I swear she was innocent. She didn't mean to hurt Van-sama or Hitomi-sama." Allen jerked back and stared into blue eyes that were identical to his own. 

"But—but Lady Aronic said that something really terrible had happened to Van and Lady Hitomi. She took Kemen and left!" Selena tore her anguished gaze from her brother's. "I didn't stop them…I wouldn't stop them! If—if Van and Hitomi really are in trouble, Aronic will help them!" 

Allen wrapped his arms tightly around Selena's shoulders and said soothingly in her ear, "It's okay. It doesn't matter now. We—we have to concentrate on the problem in front of us. Van is strong, and there's nothing he and Hitomi can't handle. Aronic can have that dragon boy. We don't need her here complicating things anyway." Allen looked away. 

At first, Selena looked offended by Allen's rough speech, but slowly she realized what he was trying to say without breaking the incomprehensible codes of chivalry a knight followed. He couldn't help Van or Hitomi right now. Frankly, everyone was facing his or her own problems right now. Fanelia was bearly holding up under the onslaught of armies. But---Allen was secretly glad that Aronic had escaped. If she was going to help Van, he could put all the past mistrust he had against the Draconians on hold. In fact, Selena suspected that if Allen thought Aronic could help Van and Hitomi, wherever they were, he would have booted Aronic out of her "prison" himself. Selena grinned into Allen's shoulder. 

"Isn't Millerna waiting for us---you?" Selena sniffed and tucked a light blonde lock of hair behind her ear in a characteristic gesture. A strangled exclamation burst from Allen's lips.

"You love her, don't you, brother?" Selena whispered in his ear.

He paused, " I don't know… For a long time, I think I was just seeing Marlene every time I looked at Millerna, but…I ----I want _her. _I want to always be with Millerna… not Marlene. I want to always protect her. I want her to always be smiling at me, Millerna's smile, not Marlene's. I want to protect her always…Dryden can't have her!" Selena smiled and hugged Allen.

"I know, Brother." Selena stood up, her face lit again by happiness. "Come on, we have a war to fight. We can't let Van or Lady Hitomi come back to find everything they've worked so hard for go to waste! I know Aronic has something planned. She is a very smart Lady."

………………………………………………………………………..

Hitomi wrapped her arms around Van's shoulders and gripped with all her desperation and might. Dispassionately, she stared blankly at her death...and Van's death. That was what the mysteriously turning blackness of the Fate Alteration Machine was, right? Emperor Dornkirk had released the true power of the Fate Alteration machine and everyone started killing each other…dying…. fighting. That terrible machine that destroyed the Draconians meant nothing but death. 

But…Van had rescued her through the Fate Alteration Machine…. Hitomi felt a small sad smile lift the corners of her mouth. She would never forget the look in Van's eyes when he had finally found her and broke through the Fate Alteration Machine's grasp to save her. A look of relief, concern, sadness, hope…love. _His red amber colored eyes are gorgeous… _

But Van was barely standing now, and she felt so hopeless. Hitomi couldn't save Van like he had saved her. All she could do was hold on to him tight and embrace that terrible emptiness inside of him. 

The colder and emptier the space she found in the nonexistent place that connected her and Van, the more she poured everything she had into it, nothing held back. 

Slowly, everything that was Hitomi, her hopes, her disappointments, her laugh, her habit of tucking one strand of hair behind her ear, her elation every time she raced around a track everything, was starting to seep into the dark nothingness, merging with it. Slowly transforming it…

"I think that's enough, Rianne," A strong voice range out. _Aronic…It's Aronic_, Hitomi dimly realized with surprise. 

The Draconians around Aronic parted, bowing slightly as she passed. A small boy with inhuman eyes and damp, delicate wings that were barley hidden by Kemen's small shoulders, balanced on the small Draconian's hip. 

"This had gone far enough. You're being ridiculous, Rianne."

Rianne's deep forest eye's narrowed with hatred, "Who gave you leave to call me without a title! You go too far, Aronic! Don't interrupt this! This is our chance to take revenge on the ones who exiled us. It's our chance to get away from here, and you have no say here! It's just like you to act so blasé during something so important!" 

Aronic snorted in exasperation, but when real concern flashed through her expression when her gazed passed over Van and Hitomi, broken and hanging on by a thread, teetering above the unknown, frightening depths of the Fate Alteration Machine. 

"You're wrong. I do have a say here. I say that you can't expend your wrath on Gaea and call it revenge. It would make you no better than those who exiled us here. Besides…Rianne, they're _gone_. You've forgotten how short life is for them. The people who exiled us and killed your beloved are these people's ancient ancestors. They probably don't even have record of something from so many generations ago. How could you punish the new people of Gaea for a crime they did not commit?" Aronic shifted her weight and bounced Kemen up on her hip. 

"Look at this little one, Rianne. We haven't seen a boy as precious as this in centuries. He's a dragon seer, the human child of a Fanelian dragon. Rianne, you know as well as I do that these children are extremely rare because they are only ever born when there is _peace_." Aronic glanced over her shoulder and her voice became louder, the presence of her resonant voice filling every corner of the harshly lit room. 

"Will any one of you deny this child?" She addressed the Draconians through their intense celestial light. "These two humans…" Aronic nodded towards Van and Hitomi, "were able to break their destiny of war, even after the Ultimate Mode of Destiny was set. They've begun peace without us, and I think it's time we stopped being their demons and went back to Gaea…as their friends. 

Even I had forgotten for so long that these people are like _us, _because no one of them are the _same. _There are good humans, bad humans, greedy humans, and brave humans, but I won't stand to see anyone play with their lives like they're less than _we are_. That was where we went wrong the first time, and unlike these humans, our memory reaches far…except for this one." Aronic grinned and gestured behind her back at the young Draconian named Darik. Darik choked on a laugh and several Draconians tried to hide smiles. 

"So, except for that impertinent youngling…" Aronic turned to face the Draconians and her expression became serious, "I cannot stand by to see anyone do this. Even my own sister." Aronic gave her sister, Rianne, a long look over her shoulder. "We can go back to Gaea, under the rule of the Draconian King! And we will finally be at peace!" Aronic walked purposefully toward the dais where to stories up, Van barely stood, and knelt. Behind her Darik let out a cheer, followed by the growing approval of the other Draconians. 

Tears slowly collected in Rianne's beautiful, anguished gaze. "I hate you," she whispered, her eyes fixed on Aronic. 

Without warning she jumped forward to shove Van and Hitomi off the tower, sending them plunging towards the swirling depths of the Fate Alteration Machine below. She turned her intense glare of betrayal towards Aronic, folded her huge wings gracefully behind her and dived in after them.

…………………………………………………………………….

It finally registered to Hitomi that they were falling. As if in slow motion, she watched the black, turning space in the Fate Alteration Machine get closer and closer. She was so tired, so spent; she couldn't even lift her head anymore. 

Hitomi's gaze fell back to Van's closed eyes. She pressed herself against him, feeling his chest rise in a breath and the pulse in his neck beat. Hitomi realized that she really had given everything she had to him. She was no longer herself. The very essence of her was filling the void in him that his sadness, helplessness, anger and despair of failure had created. She had given him everything, her heart, her love her soul, even the very breath her chest struggled and fought for…maybe now…she was _free. _

In that moment, something broke inside of her, a glass barrier shattered. The drained, empty space in her was filled by pulsing warmth. Flashes of images and knowledge invaded her thoughts. She saw Atlantis…

There was a burning along her back and muscles Hitomi didn't know she had stretched and contracted. The bright, slivery light of wings, true, full Draconian wings wrapped around her, and suddenly she was hovering above the Fate Alteration Machine, still embracing Van. Hitomi's still seemed to glow from the inside, a pearly, translucent light. All the sparkles and shadows in her eyes faded till they were only bottomless pools of color. 

__

So this is true peace**. I--** **I am peace.** True escape from the bloody destiny of man, what the bloody, beaten half-angel in her arms had strived for so long, she was his dream for the future. 

Hitomi looked into each face of angel. When her gaze left them, each Draconian wore a strange expression, like they had been touched by something truly beautiful and truly terrible. 

Hitomi knew now what every Draconian knew from birth. The Fate Alteration Machine wasn't evil. It was a tool, originally made to help people, to reach into their minds and remove the fate of war and bloodshed, of unhappiness. Unfortunately, too much power can be corrupted easily. Slowly, the Draconians discovered after they had tried to tamper with Fate, that without sorrow, no one can really know happiness. Because without darkness… how would anyone really know what light is?

The angel slowly smiled down at Hitomi's love. "**_Be at peace," _**she whispered, her face close to his. Hitomi's voice had changed. It rang, striking the same awe and fear as a storm, as gently as a hum of a sleeping baby, and wisdom coloring every word. 

For one eternal second, everything was still except for the beat of Hitomi's glowing white wings and gently floating feathers. Then her wings slowly disappeared into a shower of soft, white feathers. Every breath in the hall was held as two figures slowly arched and gracefully fell, vanishing beneath the surface without a ripple. 

……………………………………………………………….

Okay, explanation time! Yes, Hitomi is now a Draconian, who I have affectionately named "peace" (I love irony ^_^) Yes, she and Van are now having a pool party with my villain, Rianne. Yes, there is now a war going on with Fanelia and every other country on Gaea (don't want to list them all out) No, I have not forgotten about Hitomi's family, Yukari or Amano. No, I haven't forgotten our little problem that Hitomi and Van are having trouble staying on the same planet. Yes, Allen and Millerna are hooked up. Yes, Dryden and Celina are hooking up. Yes, I still have a load of surprises to give you. Yes, there is only approximately 2 chapters left, and finally, yes, I AM a firm believer in HAPPY endings!


	22. Chapter 22

La Li Ho, minna-san! Copyright to Gravitation I missed you! BTW, Kyaa77, I LOVE YOU!!!! Thanks to everyone for getting here so far!

Here is one of my last poems to you.

Thanks to some computer-super-genius-losers (yeah, I mean you guys, B and K)

And reviewers like you,

Van and Hitomi

Will see this entire story through.

Stick with them

And they'll stick with you,

Then give you a lot of heart-shaped cookies,

Pink and blue!

…. Love you guys! On to the 22nd chapter!

……………………………………………………………………………….

There was a boy with silver blonde hair, humming to himself and tracing patterns in the dirt on the ground. Rianne slowly turned her head, for the second time in her life, aching and wishing for oblivion. The first time was after her lover had been murdered and she had found herself in that cursed dimension.

The boy didn't even blink, just stared at the ground with light flower-pink eyes.

"Who are you?" Rianne whispered harshly. The boy didn't even flinch.

"You made me, you stupid woman. You don't remember me?" Rianne felt a shadow of her old righteous dignity. Then she sighed.

"It doesn't matter now. I'll never get my revenge." The boy's hand suddenly stopped.

"You're like me. You made yourself of ghost of revenge, just like you made me one."

Rianne gazed up into the blue sky, "Why did I do that?"

"Hate." The boy began tracing circles in the dust on the ground again. "I want to kill them. Kill them for making me sad. They killed Shesta and Gatty…they killed Jajuka."

Rianne finally drew herself up and finally caught Dillandua's gaze.

"They can't hurt us anymore here," she whispered. "But our memory…will haunt them forever." Slowly, Rianne's wings unfurled from her back till they enveloped the silver boy. "Someone's waiting for you on the other side. And someone has been waiting for me…for a long time. The dragon king…. The ones we left behind…can't forget us…. So we can hurt them…but they can't hurt us. Every time they think of us, the pain and guilt will get worse. They can't hurt us-----but we can hurt them." Both figures gradually disappeared into light…except for one single white feather that floated gracefully to the ground, forever captured in a crystalline moment, forever shining gently.

………………………………………………………………………..

Van felt nothing. Nothing. Everything inside of him was empty. Numb. So cold.

On the outside, he ached. The light beat at his sensitive eyes and blood and sweat mixed together, stinging his eyes and tasting like bitter bile in his mouth. Van was shivering uncontrollably. Every time he took a breath a sharp pain pierced his side. His ribs must be broken, he realized faintly.

The dragon inside of him was silent. He finally understood what the dragon in his mind was. It was what every Draconian was born with. The Dragon represented everything about him that wasn't human, that wasn't rational, the spirit of the Draconians living on in him. It was himself in the truest sense. The fire had left the dragon's fierce red gaze. The dragon was his raw emotions, the balance to the cold rational in his mind.

Vaguely, he remembered saying good-bye to Hitomi. He remembered the paralyzing pain of her grief just before the numbness took over.

Van didn't really remember exactly when all of his feelings slowly flickered and died. He didn't remember when the Dragon went back to sleep. Maybe it was when he realized that to die, to sacrifice himself, and to leave Hitomi behind was the only way to save her, her family, her friends, and his country…Gaea. Maybe this is what his father felt when he abandoned Folken…all for the sake of his country.

Van consciousness flickered in and out. He didn't remember climbing the stairs of the platform, up to the top of the Fate Alteration Machine. Step. Step. Van wasn't sure how he was able to keep picking up one foot at a time. Step. Step.

He should be sad. He was about to die. He would never see Hitomi again. He would never see Merle again. Van would never again walk through Fanelia's streets and wonder what his Father and his Brother would think if they could see this country now. He would never visit his mother's grave. Van would never again watch a sunrise hit the dormant guymelef that stood so proudly. The Escaflowne still tugged at his heart. He had always wondered the extent he and the Escaflowne could go together. He had always wanted to push the limits of their power.

Step. Step.

He would miss flying. Sky and clouds flashed before his eyes. The horizon. Dancing green eyes. _Her._

Van could examine these memories now impassively. Because he was numb, because the helplessness of this forced sacrifice created an infinite emptiness in him; he couldn't feel. Because of the emptiness, Van couldn't love. He couldn't even hate Rianne or man's stupid, redundant Fate.

Something touched his thoughts. _Hitomi._ Van noticed indifferently that the colors inside her head were changing. She had realized that everything was hopeless, that this was the only way out. Van had made his decision and Hitomi had made hers.

Drop by drop, breath by breath, Van felt Hitomi's consciousness seep into the black hole inside himself. Her last hope, her last wish, was to be with him…to die with him. So he wouldn't be alone.

Van suddenly realized that Hitomi was beside him, embracing him. His head was held gently in her hands, but she pressed herself up against him.

She poured out everything into him. Hitomi's laugh, her frustration, her small habit of tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, filled up everything he had lost.

__

She is so good. Even in the very end…she won't let me go. One feeling overpowered everything. The space inside him had been filled with feelings and emotions that were not his, that were out of control.

Hitomi's emotions. They had changed, melded, and her feelings were his own now. He felt…relived. Van felt grateful. He felt…at peace.

Suddenly, something snapped. Van felt himself falling. Simultaneously, Hitomi's heart, mind, and soul gave out. In a moment, Van was closed off from her.

Hitomi wasn't Hitomi anymore. When he tried to touch her, she burned him. The light emitting from her skin and her mind was so intense it was painful. The cold in him was gone, filled with Hitomi's warmth, but the person who embraced him…

Suddenly, his vision became clear. The pain in his ribs faded. Being near her light overpowered the pain, cleared his head. Van began to focus on the angel's face.

She smiled at him, with Hitomi's smile.

He realized that they were hovering, flying above the murky depths of the Fate Alteration Machine. Van had to tear his eyes away from her to gaze at Hitomi's huge, blindingly white wings, steadily beating around him, with the air humming around them. They erupted in graceful arches from her shoulders, ripping through the worn cloth of her shirt. Each feather was a work of art.

Even her face had changed. Her eyes had become deep, endless pools of green…but they were absent of the sparkles and shadows that made Hitomi's eyes dance. The color of her hair had changed from a comfortable tawny color, the a shining gold silk. His eyes hurt looking at her. She was truly beautiful and truly terrible.

She leaned close, and shivers ran down his spine. "**_Be at peace_**." Her breath whispered past his ear.

The Draconians had been awe-inspiring. But Hitomi…Hitomi was so beautiful, so perfect that she was truly terrifying. It was like looking into the face of God, something so much more than a human could ever comprehend that it drove them to madness.

In that one second, he realized he wanted the old Hitomi back. Van tried to tell her, but no sound came from his mouth. She seemed to know, however. She smiled gently at him. Van had to turn his amber gaze away.

Then, Van let out a strangled shout when he realized that they were plummeting again. The open, dark pool at the top of the Fate Alteration Machine flew closer and closer. He caught a glimpse of the ceiling, the endless white expansion of clouds out of the huge window behind the throne. Aronic and the small form of Kemen flashed past. He tightened his grip around Hitomi's waist, sweat running from his bronzed skin. Van squeezed his eyes shut…and suddenly was submerged.

……………………………………………………………..

Van flinched when cold water slashed his face. His shoulders relaxed at the soothing sound of waves crashing on a beach. Slowly, Van opened his eyes and tried to sit up. He noted idly how sore his muscles were.

Van was looking out at a quiet sunset on the horizon of an ocean. He loved to watch to sunrise and fall over water. Van could faintly hear gulls crying and crickets chirping. A salty ocean breeze gently played with his wild black hair. The sand beneath him was still warn from the sun's rays. This really was his ideal image of peace. There was no weight, pressure or worries at all on his mind…

A startled explanation burst out of him when someone put a hand on his shoulder. Van whipped around.

"_Folken?_" Van exclaimed incredulously. It couldn't be! His brother was _dead_. Folken smiled and sat down beside his brother. Van stared at Folken, who was looking out towards the sunset.

"H-How----" He stuttered. "But I---Am a still in the Fate Alteration Machine?" Folken sighed, still watching the waves crash against the shore.

"The sunset is beautiful, isn't it? You never really appreciate something so beautiful until you can't have it." Van stared at Folken, nonplussed.

A small sigh escaped him and Van looked down to study the sand at his feet. "I don't understand."

Folken chuckled. Then he broke into a loud spade of laughter. "You'll never change, Van," he said with amusement still coloring his voice. He became somber again. "There are things in life no one will understand. You can count on your reason and strict reality forever. Hasn't being with Hitomi taught you anything at all?" Van swung around to face him.

"You know, Brother, that no one has taught me more than Naria and Earia." At Van's total lack of comprehension, Folken sighed and tried again.

You see, the Fate Alteration Machine just shows us shadows. It was a machine originally built to teach us . Right now, I'm just a shadow of Fate. The machine keeps _possibilities_ of Fate alive. Even though Dillandua was dead, he was still a reaction of Fate. That's why Rianne was able to bring him back to life."

Understanding finally lit Van's gaze. "Hitomi's family," he stated.

Folken nodded, "And her friends."

Van grit his teeth in a rush of anger. "I hate these circles of logic! I just don't understand. Fighting, using the Escaflowne to kill was better than this Armageddon! Why are you alive? Why didn't this machine just let me die? It would have been easier."

"Quiet," Folken's voice cut sharply through Van's outburst. "Don't be so selfish. You're so willing to give your life and your love away. You think you want peace so terribly. Then why did you stop fighting for it? You want to be with Hitomi so badly? Then why aren't you fighting for _her_? You say that you would do anything to fight for her, yet as soon as an opportunity to escape presents itself, you run in the other direction." Folken's gaze bit intensely into Van's. "You relied on your rational self too long, Brother. Sometimes you just have to _let it go_. Even if you can't understand." Van was shocked to feel a warm wetness sting his cheeks. He put his hand to his face and felt tears.

"During the war---I never thought I would cry again…" Van wondered out loud. A small smile flickered past Folken's expression. And he gazed out to the sunset again. The red streaked light barely showed over the horizon of water now.

"Just remember, Van," Folken whispered softly. " You don't really realize how fortunate you are seeing something as beautiful as a sunset---until you can't have it. A sunset may be beautiful and peaceful, but remember; they don't last forever…. And you can never truly touch one." A terribly heavy look sank into Folken's amber eyes, a shade darker than Vans. He brought his hand up to reach out towards the fading light. Van noticed it was his left arm---but it was whole. Both of Folken's real arms stretched out to the sky. The Fate Alteration Machine reflected the shadow of Fate in Folken. For an instant, the images of two beautiful, cat-like women, one gold and one silver, were set in the emerging stars. The whispering of the wind and waves like a small laugh, the hum of insects; a gentle purr.

Abruptly, the tall, silver-haired man stood and pulled his brother up beside him. Van looked down when something hard was pushed into his hand. _The energist!_ He realized with a jolt.

Folken smiled down at his little, dark brother in the fading light. "The dragon in you calls to the dragon in the Escaflowne. The Ispano workers were always uneasy about mixing Draconian blood in the Escaflowne. Too powerful, they thought. The Escaflowne is woven into your Fate. It's been sleeping, waiting for you to grow. Use it to save our world, Brother," Folken with bemusement tingeing his tone.

Suddenly, black wings burst from Folken's shoulder blades and unfurled. He put a hand on Van's head a ruffled his hair affectionately.

He leaned close to Van's ear and said almost teasingly, "Our mother is very proud of you."

…Then he was gone. Van stared down at the energist in his hand and knew what he was going to do. He wasn't sick of fighting, like he had thought. He was sick of doubting himself, doubting Hitomi…and most off all carrying the weight of the sorrow of the dead. Van took a deep breath. Finally. He understood. At last, he was ready to fight.

……………………………………………………………….

I know! I have a lot more to write! But this chapter was getting kinda long…and I was at a good stopping point… Alright! Next up --- the battle for Gaea, Peace, Hitomi and Van's love, the Draconians, a cute little dragon half-ling, and----Aoki?


	23. Chapter 23

Hey! What is this? Number 23? Well, welcome back! Bozena tosses and turns while sleeping. "So close...almost at...the end... Also, B and K, like promised. You gave me back my disc, I write you another chapter. (Wow, is that some kind of twisted blackmail or what?) Bozena says "hi" to Cloudygirl and Kyaa77!  
No poems. No disclaimers. Let's get to the good stuff. .......................................................................................  
Suddenly, the crashes, yells, and curses that shook the battlefield silenced. The silence rang in the warrior's ears; they were unused to the absence of the harsh noises. The blonde knight fighting the black-haired angel with green eyes barely kept his balance when the ground trembled violently. Serena, along side Riven, had already tumbled to the ground at the first quake. Abruptly, a white-blue pillar of light pierced through the sky and a massive shadow crashed to the ground. When the dizzying blotches in Allen's sight faded, he gasped. An ancient guymelef loomed over him. The beating energist inside of its heart gave a defiant, joyful flash.  
"Escaflowne..." Allen swore to himself, fight completely forgotten. A huge shadow passed along the ground, above the ancient protector god and the Fanelia-dragon over head bellowed a roar that resounded through the battle field in a keening cry. Slowly, the Escaflowne stood and in an awkward movement, and pulled a great sword from its back.  
Van didn't remember ever climbing into the Escaflowne's cockpit. The blue light had come and he had found himself inside the once dormant guymelef's now living form. He was ready. He could feel the incredible power of the Escaflowne pulsing around him. Van knew what he had to do. He was going to fight for Hitomi. He was going to fight for peace, fight for Fanelia, fight for Gaea. Van was even fighting for the draconians.  
The Young King didn't want to kill again. But...he couldn't ignore his power, just like he couldn't deny his heritage or his responsibility. A passionate fire burned in his heart and gave him hope. It would be alright. Everything would turn out okay in the end. Till then, he would do everything he could to protect the gates of his country.  
..........  
At once, the tide of the battle was turned. The giant guymelef sliced through the enemy ranks of mechas like paper. The people, encouraged by the strength of their great god and their king rushed forward. Gaddes shouted and the Crusade's men charged, yelling and catcalling each other. "All you can drink to whoever takes down the first one!"  
.....................  
"Ahhh!" Van shouted ah a thrust forward with the huge sword, feeling it hum with energy. Everything the sword touched burned. Beams of bright green light shot from the energist embedded into the Escaflowne's mighty armor and incinerated anything unlucky enough to be caught in their path. "Yes. Yes! C'mon Escaflowne. We can do this!" Van shouted exuberantly. It had been so long. He forgot the amazing feeling that the power of the Escaflowne fused into his blood. The dragon in his mind had been reawakened by Hitomi. It exalted in its new life, roared triumphantly in all its power, but... the dark joy in each drop of blood the dragon took was gone. The dragon's fury, the Escaflowne's power...was empty. The angel of peace was now bound into the Escaflowne and the dragon's blood and soul and had taken that fierce dark power away. Somehow... because part of it was gone, the dragon's call was empty. Van slowly began to realize, with rising dismay, that the Escaflowne was bound, captured...held back. After the first rush of power, Van instinctively sensed a limit deep within the Escaflowne that he had never felt before. Van was slowly losing the tide of the battle. No! everything depended on this war! Everything depended on this fight! "Escaflowne! What's wrong?" Van shouted in frustration. He dodged a crimi- claw, but the speed of the ancient guymelef's movements were decreasing. It was like the powerful suit had already climaxed and its performance was rapidly falling. Van was a soldier. He knew that if he could find out what was wrong with the Escaflowne....he was dead. He was too big of a target to slow now. In the frantic chaos of the battle, Van shoved all of his warrior instincts to the back of his mind and committed the greatest sin he could imagine in the middle of a battle. He closed his eyes. Van felt the pendant burning over his chest. The pendant swung. What's wrong? It swung back. Escaflowne's never had a limit before. What's holding us back? Another swing. And then he sensed her. She had one hand on the dragon's neck, calming his fury, holding him back. The angel. Hitomi. Why?! He cried out in his mind. Why are you holding me back from protecting you? I am peace. Ultimate true peace. You can't have both the Escaflowne's power and peace. This is what you wanted for so long, isn't it? Peace? Hitomi died so we could have peace. She...she's not dead. She's you. Your Hitomi! The angel shook her head, sending her gold, silken hair to caress moonlight skin and hide her endless, ageless eyes. No. I am part of Hitomi. In the Fate Alteration machine, Hitomi's destiny was split. Part of her is me. Peace. Part of her lives only in you. The part of Hitomi that grew up on the Mystic Moon drained into you, to keep the dragon's despair from consuming himself. That is the limit you search so hard for. In true, complete peace...Escaflowne does not exist. It's slowly fading away. It's in this that the Fate Alteration Machine enters a paradox. No. No. If Hitomi was dead, I would know. I would feel it. Hitomi! Don't you remember? HITOMI!  
The angel smiled gently at Van. I love you. True peace exists on perfect love.  
Van separate now from the great battle he stood in the middle of, looked down at the fight through the eyes of the ultimate draconian, through "Peace." He watched the souls of the dead, some weeping, some in fury, some still living in the fight. He watched the fallen men slowly dying. Van watched the soldiers killing in a consuming battle fury. If you are truly Peace, Van said, his voice choked with emotion. Then you can carry the sorrow of the dead! Back on the field, the Escaflowne suddenly transformed into a towering white dragon. Van rose slowly from the cockpit. His wings, only recently broken and bloody, had been healed by peace. They rose proudly from his shoulders and softly glowed against the tears drenching his face. Van didn't say anything. No words could have expressed all of the emotions, hope, despair, denial, longing, sadness...calm, the squeezed the air out of his lungs. Instead, he looked up. Above Van, floated the angel. Her wings gracefully sent ripple through the air, as she hovered in front of this boy who was now truly a king. The din below them slowly faded as one by one every eye on the field was trained the ethereal light. "None of this really matters, does it?" Van spoke softly to the angel, never taking his eyes off her but gesturing down towards to fighting below. "There will always be wars. There will always be sadness. But...there will always be happiness, won't there? The sun will set over water and someone will be at peace while they watch it. You may never be able to touch a sunset, but----you never really appreciate it until you can't have it." Van smiled slightly, the understanding in his amber eyes was deep. Van took a deep breath, the hard muscles on his chest rising and falling in a sigh. "I don't think that peace can exist without conflict. You can never really appreciate peace unless there has been war. It's sad, but...life needs to have good parts...and bad parts. I want to build my country one step at a time, growing from every defeat and every victory." Thank you, Folken, Van thought. For teaching me. Van bravely stared into the angel's beautiful, terrible gaze. "Please." He whispered. "Give Hitomi back to me. I love her. She's my sunrise. All of this is worthless without her." The angel stared at the young king, watching the tears flowing down his cheeks, the depth of his understanding, the depth of his love. The unearthly silk wrapped around her slender form danced gracefully in the wind. Slowly, a tear pooled, then ran down her cheek. Suddenly a small cry was rent from the angel's perfect lips as an arrow pierced through her shoulder, inches above her chest. Red blood stained dark against the bright white silk of the angel's dress. In slow motion, the goddess' wings stopped and she fell forward, tumbling into Van's frozen arms. Below on the harsh mud of the battle field, Riven, the twin with draconian blood, stared down at the bow in his hands like it belonged to someone else. He stared from his hands to cockpit of the Escaflowne, where all he could see was a graceful arm draped over the side with blood marring the translucent white skin. Riven turned quickly when he heard footsteps behind him. Before his throat even tightened into a scream, Allen sliced his blade through Riven's neck. Allen stared down at Riven's fallen carcass, a mixture of horror, disbelief and disgust on his face. "Riven!" Serene screamed. She lunged towards Allen. The blonde knight brought his sword up before he realized it and jerked in horror when he saw the sword slide through the girl's chest with sickening ease.  
........ Van knew it was too late. The arrow had tilted when it entered her shoulder. It had nicked a lung and her heart. Van's hands shook as he slowly touched the angel's cheek. She coughed once and a tiny drop of blood rose on her pale lips. She coughed once more. Her last expression made Van clench his teeth. The angel's face never changed once from a look of tranquility and peace. The tear still clung to her skin. Reluctantly, it fell away from the angel, seemed to crystallize and hit the floor of the Escaflowne's cockpit with a ping. The moment the celestial light faded from the angel's eye, Hitomi's eyes, the heavens above them suddenly split apart. There was no sound, but all the same a deafening whirlwind of noise crashed down onto Gaea. There was light everywhere and suddenly there were draconians filling the skies. The death of the perfect angel had ripped open the two dimensions. One soldier suddenly collapsed backwards onto the ground and another covered his head with his arms. A howl of pain and rage rose above the silent chaos. "NO!" Van slammed his fist into the solid metal of the Escaflowne. He carefully scooped up the fallen angel into his arms and gently closed her open, staring eyes. Don't leave me. Take me with you! I never want to be without you again. Van barely noticed someone suddenly beside him. He turned to see Aronic in an exotic gown of beautiful gems and chains. Her wings gently brushed his shoulders. "Leave. Don't come near her." He forced out in a hard voice. For a second you could see the fear on Aronic's face, but resolve flashed in her eyes when she gazed down at the angel, at the perfect draconian, at Hitomi. She parted a length of silk draped over her shoulders and revealed the small dragon boy that Merle had found so long ago. "Go, little one," she whispered to it. It wasn't a command, it was a prayer. She gently set the Halfling down. The small boy stood shakily on his feet, the new wings protruding awkwardly from his back throwing his balance. Reptilian eyes followed Van as Keman took shaky steps forward. Van drew back instinctively with a feral look in his burning eyes. He wasn't going to let anyone close to the body of the angel who wore the face of the dearest person in the world to him. A small mewing sound of distress came from Keman. He tottered forward with his hands out, reaching for Van. That tiniest sound reached Van, down to his very core, the part that was in too much anguish to touch. In a sharp movement, he fell to his knees. He kept his head down, his eyes hidden by his black unruly hair as the boy approached. "Please leave," Van whispered brokenly to the dragon child. Keman slowly reached forward with his small hand and placed one finger on the angel's lips, and looked unhappy when he realized that no air was coming from behind those lips. The child glanced back at Aronic once and she nodded. Keman held one hand out towards Van. In his palm, a spark started to grow and soon a miniature energist lay in the dragon boy's palm. The gem floated down to rest onto the angel's blood-soaked chest. In a flash of light, it was absorbed into her skin and the small boy was gone. Van dropped the angel and cried out as if she had burned him. The angel was slowly changing. Her hair became shorter and darkened into a comfortable tawny color. Her skin gained a rosy, healthy hue. Van felt...drained. Emotions, feelings, breath, even the very blood in his veins seemed to be leeching out of him. Van felt his heart contract painfully and felt...a corresponding beat. In sync with his. And last...a bridge a connection was slowly shaping itself inside his head with a rush of memories. Laughter. A warm smile. An exasperated sigh. The first rush of skin against skin. Lips touching. Air rushing by. Loneliness, hunger, the small tugging of the back of his shirt. Everything that was her. Hitomi. Van stood, not really aware of anything, but strangely aware of the warn sunshine, falling lightly on his face. He couldn't even bring himself to move, to touch her. Slowly, her eyes opened, dancing green eyes filled with light and shadows, now filled with confusion. White wings still arched from Hitomi's shoulders. Her trembling body was still covered in an unearthly white silk, stained with blood. A beautiful white feather still hung around Hitomi's neck, but at the very base of the feather, a small crystal teardrop was embedded in the stem. Above the two lovers, the draconians soared through the sky, a breath- taking sight that the soldiers looking up from the ground would never forget. ............................................................................... Aoki woke up gradually in a strange bed. He wasn't an early morning person. In fact, he had probably been lightly dozing for hours. It might even be passed noon. He sighed, gaining consciousness more quickly than he would have liked. This bed was really warm... "Wake up! You've been asleep forever!" Somebody poked him. "Go 'way," he muttered and turned over. "C'mon! It's past lunch time! Wake up!" Suddenly, who ever was bothering him was jumping on top of him. "Leave me alone!" Aoki sat up, angrily. He stopped. He was staring into pretty blue eyes...his gazed moved upwards to the girl---he gulped---cat ears?! The strange cat-girl purred and licked his face. "My name's Merle," she said casually, blushing a little. "It's time to get up lazy. Don't you want to eat? Don't you want to see your friends? Hitomi's been really worried about you." "Hitomi?" Aoki exclaimed. "Wait a minuet! Where the heck am I?" Merle rolled her eyes. "You're the last one to get up. We already explained this a hundred times to the other foreigners. Just come on!" Merle tugged the seriously confused boy out of bed and into a sun filled ante-chamber. "Aoki!" His best friend, Hajime Kanzaki, bowled him over. "I thought you were going to sleep till you died of starvation!" Aoki looked past Hajime's shoulder and saw the strangest gathering of people he had ever witnessed. He saw The Kanzaki's, Hitomi's friends Yukari and Amano, Hitomi dressed in really weird clothing, and a blonde man arguing in a corner with a dark man in sunglasses. Beside Hitomi was a pretty blonde with short hair talking animatedly and gesturing wildly, an elegant woman with long blond hair checking Hitomi's pulse and an intense boy with dark hair that seemed way too familiar pacing in front of an empty fire pace... Aoki looked outside for the first time through a window right to his left. "Oh my god! Is that the Earth?" he yelled. Everyone's attention in the room immediately fixed on him. "Oh god, another one," the blonde man in the corner groaned. Hitomi tried to stand up, but six pairs of hands pushed her back into her seat. Eventually, everything was explained to Aoki. He joined Hitomi's friend Amano however, in his reluctance to believe what he was hearing, even if the truth was in front of his very eyes. "Hitomi-san...does that mean that you're staying here?" Aoki asked slowly. Hitomi quickly glanced at her mother and Yukari looked away. Hitomi turned to Aoki and nodded. "Why...why are you staying here if all of us," Aoki motioned towards Hitomi's family and friends. "Are going home? Earth is your home too, isn't it?" Hitomi shook her head, unable to meet the eyes of anyone in the room. "No, Aoki-Chan. My home...is here. I need to be here, in Gaea. I---I don't want to say good-bye, but..." She broke off, unable to continue. The hair on the back of Aoki's neck stood up on end when he received a scalding glance from the man with unruly dark hair and exotic red amber eyes. He could read that clearly. It meant "Back off or I'll hurt you. Bad." Tension increased in the room. The dark-haired man in the corner suddenly spoke up, "Well, I can't stand around here all day with you foreigners. I'm still an important ambassador with a lot of important things to do," Dryden said cockily. Allen snorted.  
  
Selena grinned and piped up, "I'll come with you!" And with mock seriousness, offered her arm to Dryden to escort her out of the room. Allen opened his mouth in protest and step forward angrily to follow his sister's retreating back. Millerna caught his arm. "Allen, why don't you come with me instead? I need some help in the hospital." Allen looked like he still wanted to make sure his sister had more than 10 feet of breathing room, but one pleading look from Millerna broke down all of his resistance. As they walked out the door, Millerna smiled apologetically at Allen. "I'm sorry, but Hitomi hasn't seen her family in a really long time. It would be nice if we could give them some time together." Allen nodded. "So...how are your patients doing at the hospital?" he asked. Millerna sighed, "I don't know what they'll do when I have to leave. Too many people are still injured from the battle, but Sister and I have been away from Asturia longer than we should have." "What will you do when you get back to Asturia, Princess?" Millerna frowned at the title. "I really don't know." She looked away. Allen clenched his fist, then suddenly grabbed Millerna's wrist. Her exclamation was suddenly cut off when he brought his mouth down on hers. "Millerna...I..." Allen couldn't seem to find the right words. "...Your eyes are beautiful. They're so blue," he said as if in afterthought. "You're the most independent woman I know, but... why can't you..." Allen growled in frustration. "No! I said that wrong! I didn't mean that the way it sounded. ---I cared about Marlene. I care about Hitomi. But, I just can't seem to be the same without you. I've missed you so much since the Great War. And I..." Allen looked away, his frustration and discomfort evident is his sky blue gaze. "I just want you to rely on me, because---because I love you." When, Millerna didn't say anything, Allen gave a small sigh and a pathetic little smile. "My apologies, Princess. It was unchivalorous for me to bring up such an indelicate matter..." Allen was cut off when Millerna reached up to touch his cheek. "I've been waiting for you to say that for a very long time. It was very rude of you to keep me waiting." Allen's gaze snapped to hers in disbelief. Then, slowly a blinding smile made his expression exuberant. "My most sincere apologies, Princess."  
...................................................... Yukari couldn't seem to stop the tears. So much had happened to Hitomi that she had had no idea about. And...she really didn't want to leave Hitomi now that she knew. It all seemed too radical to believe. Hitomi swore that Yukari had witnessed her being taken the first time into Gaea, but all Yukari drew was a blank. Hitomi also said that they had met that boy, who was supposedly a king before. She had said he had even been inside their house! Aoki was the only one who even had foggy memories of Hitomi's young king, and it didn't seem like they were good memories. 


	24. Chapter 24

This is it, guys.  Yup.  Last chapter.  This is basically the resolution of the fic, and I have to say I'm going to be sad to say good-bye TT sobs  I know you might be a little disappointed with the ending, but like I've said before.  This fic lost steam about halfway through on the 19th chapter.  So, let's say chapters 8 thru 16 were the most intense.  When I started it up again, it didn't really go where I thought it would, but I hope you enjoyed reading my little ficcie none the less. 

Disclaimer: I had to write one more of these just for the heck of it.  This is my story.  These are not my characters.  Escaflowne is not mine.  (…that was bittersweet…;;)

…………………………………………………………….. 

Aoki woke up gradually in a strange bed.  He wasn't an early morning person.  In fact, he had probably been lightly dozing for hours.  It might even be passed noon.  He sighed, gaining consciousness more quickly than he would have liked.  This bed was really warm…

"Wake up! You've been asleep forever!" Somebody poked him. 

"Go 'way," he muttered and turned over. 

"C'mon! It's past lunch time! Wake up!" Suddenly, who ever was bothering him was jumping on top of him. 

"Leave me alone!" Aoki sat up, angrily.  He stopped.  He was staring into pretty blue eyes…his gazed moved upwards to the girl---he gulped---cat ears?!

The strange cat-girl purred and licked his face.  "My name's Merle," she said casually, blushing a little.  "It's time to get up lazy.  Don't you want to eat? Don't you want to see your friends? Hitomi's been really worried about you."

"Hitomi?" Aoki exclaimed.  "Wait a minuet! Where the heck am I?"  Merle rolled her eyes.

"You're the last one to get up.  We already explained this a hundred times to the other foreigners.  Just come on!" Merle tugged the seriously confused boy out of bed and into a sun filled ante-chamber. 

"Aoki!"  His best friend, Hajime Kanzaki, bowled him over.  "I thought you were going to sleep till you died of starvation!"  Aoki looked past Hajime's shoulder and saw the strangest gathering of people he had ever witnessed. 

He saw The Kanzaki's, Hitomi's friends Yukari and Amano, Hitomi dressed in really weird clothing, and a blonde man arguing in a corner with a dark man in sunglasses.  Beside Hitomi was a pretty blonde with short hair talking animatedly and gesturing wildly, an elegant woman with long blond hair checking Hitomi's pulse and an intense boy with dark hair that seemed way too familiar pacing in front of an empty fire pace…

Aoki looked outside for the first time through a window right to his left.  "Oh my god! Is that the Earth?" he yelped.  Everyone's attention in the room immediately fixed on him. 

"Oh god, another one," the dark-haired man with sunglasses in the corner groaned. Hitomi tried to stand up, but six pairs of hands pushed her back into her seat. 

Eventually, everything was explained to Aoki.  He joined Hitomi's friend Amano however, in his reluctance to believe what he was hearing, even if the truth was in front of his very eyes. 

"Hitomi-san…does that mean that you're staying here?" Aoki asked slowly.   Hitomi quickly glanced at her mother and Yukari looked away.  Hitomi turned hesitantly to Aoki and nodded. 

"Why…why are you staying here? I mean… if all of us," Aoki motioned towards Hitomi's family and friends. "Are going home? Earth is your home too, isn't it?"

Hitomi shook her head, unable to meet the eyes of anyone in the room.  "No, Aoki-Chan.  My home…is here.  I need to be here, in Gaea.  I---I don't want to say good-bye, but…" She broke off, unable to continue.  The hair on the back of Aoki's neck stood up on end when he received a scalding glance from the man with unruly dark hair and exotic red amber eyes.  He could read that clearly.  It meant "Back off or I'll hurt you.  Bad."  Tension increased in the room. 

The man with sunglasses in the corner suddenly spoke up, "Well, I can't stand around here all day with you foreigners. I'm still an important ambassador with a lot of important things to do," Dryden said cockily.  Allen snorted. 

Selena grinned and piped up, "I'll come with you!" And with mock seriousness, offered her arm to Dryden to escort her out of the room.  Allen opened his mouth in protest and step forward angrily to follow his sister's retreating back. 

Millerna caught his arm.  "Allen, why don't you come with me instead? I need some help in the hospital."  Allen looked like he still wanted to make sure his sister had more than 10 feet of breathing room, but one pleading look from Millerna broke down all of his resistance. 

As they walked out the door, Millerna smiled apologetically at Allen. "I'm sorry, but Hitomi hasn't seen her family in a really long time.  It would be nice if we could give them some time together.  Besides, I doubt Selena would appreciate you baby-sitting her like a child whenever she's around Dryden."  Allen looked indignant, but reluctantly nodded. 

"So…how are your patients doing at the hospital?" he asked.

Millerna sighed, "I don't know what they'll do when I have to leave.  Too many people are still injured from the battle, but Sister and I have been away from Asturia longer than we should have." 

"What will you do when you get back to Asturia, Princess?"

Millerna frowned at the title.  "I really don't know." She looked away.  Allen clenched his fist, then suddenly grabbed Millerna's wrist.  Her exclamation was suddenly cut off when he brought his mouth down on hers. 

"Millerna…I…" Allen couldn't seem to find the right words.  "…Your eyes are beautiful.  They're so blue," he said as if in afterthought.  "You're the most independent woman I know, but… why can't you…" Allen growled in frustration.   "No! I said that wrong! I didn't mean that the way it sounded. ---I---I cared about Marlene.  I care about Hitomi.  But, I just can't seem to be the same without you.  I've missed you so much since the Great War. And I…"  Allen looked away, his frustration and discomfort evident is his sky blue gaze.  "I just want you to rely on me, because---because I love you.   And I swear as a knight of Cealie that I'll never let Dryden take you!"  When, Millerna didn't say anything, Allen gave a small sigh and a pathetic little smile. 

"My apologies, Princess.  It was unchivalorous for me to bring up such an indelicate matter…"  Allen was cut off when Millerna reached up to touch his cheek. 

"I've been waiting for you to say that for a very long time.  It was very rude of you to keep me waiting."  Allen's gaze snapped to hers in disbelief.  Then, slowly a blinding smile made his expression exuberant.

"My most sincere apologies, Princess."

                  ………………………………………………

Yukari couldn't seem to stop the tears.  So much had happened to Hitomi that she had had no idea about.  And…she really didn't want to leave Hitomi, now that she knew.   It all seemed too radical to believe.  Hitomi swore that Yukari had _witnessed _her being taken the first time into Gaea, but all Yukari drew was a blank.  Hitomi also said that they had met that boy, who was supposedly a king, before.   She had said he had even been inside their house!

Aoki was the only one who even had foggy memories of Hitomi's young king, and it didn't seem like they were good memories.   

The king, "Van", said that he thought that the "Draconians" had the power to cover and erase memory.  He suspected that they might have had something to do with the fact that no one around Hitomi remembered _anything_ that had happened to her. 

Yukari turned to Amano and buried her face in his shoulder.  He put a comforting hand on her back.  Yukari couldn't believe that she was saying good-bye to her best friend…forever.  She had always just assumed that she and Hitomi would fall in love together, get married together, have kids and still be great friends.  Yukari realized that she had to accept that Hitomi wasn't the person she knew three, four years ago. 

No. No, she should be_ happy _for Hitomi.  It was obvious that Hitomi couldn't be happy on Earth any longer.  Every other minuet Yukari caught Hitomi checking over her shoulder for Van.  She saw the small smiles, saw them "accidentally" brush past each other.  It was obvious that Hitomi was head over heels in love and everything else had moved to second place on her priority list.  Yukari felt bad for Hitomi's mother.  She would have to loose her daughter.  She would never know her grandchildren.  Yukari sighed.  Saying good-bye was going to be one of the hardest things she was going to have to do.  But Yukari knew that she had to go back to Earth.  Hitomi might be able to stay here, but Yukari still had family, Amano, and education ahead for her.  Besides, she thought bemusedly, she probably wouldn't be able to cope without indoor plumbing.   

Hitomi finally came to get them.  She looked sad, but also…at peace.  At first, it startled Yukari.  She hadn't seen Hitomi look content or even truly happy for a long, long time. 

"It's this way," Hitomi said softly.  She picked up her mother and her brother's hands and led them through the palace gardens.  Eventually the came out behind the palace of this strange world to a small graveyard.  It was beautiful.  The sun filtered through the deep green trees, and glanced off a huge mecha, the Escaflowne, sleeping peacefully. Van was already waiting there, with another older woman that Yukari didn't know.  

The dark-haired boy approached them.  "This is where my father and my brother are buried," he told the small group.  "The Escaflowne rests here.  We can send you back through here.  Lady Aronic will help us."  Van nodded towards Aronic.  She gave an elegant bow.  

Yukari saw a deep glace pass between Hitomi and Van.  She smiled ruefully.  Approaching  Hitomi, she said, "You sure got it bad, huh?"  like nothing had ever changed between them.  Hitomi's eyes became bright with tears. 

"Yeah," she nodded then fell forward into Yukari's embrace. 

"Name your first daughter after me, okay?"  Yukari whispered in her ear, the wind tugging on the long but light Fanelian dress she wore.  Hitomi nodded again. 

Amano said, "Keep practicing! I'm sure they have a track team around here somewhere!"  Hitomi rubbed the tears out of her eyes and kissed him on the cheek.

When Hitomi approached her mother, the woman looked past her daughter to the Draconian King behind her. 

"Please take care of my daughter," she said and bowed.  Van was forced to stare deep into her eyes, then he bowed back very low.

"I swear on my brother's gave." 

While Hitomi was hugging her brother, a shadow crept up behind them.  Merle pounced.  She grabbed Aoki's hand and whispered shyly in his ear.

"Don't leave forever, okay?"  Aoki blushed and turned to her solemnly. 

"I promise I'll come back.  Truth is…I don't really want to leave.  This whole world…it's too amazing for me to forget."

Aronic cleared her throat.  "Hitomi.  It's time."  The tawny haired girl straitened her shoulders bravely and walked over towards the wise healer.  Van followed.   They didn't even have to look at each other.  Van squeezed Hitomi hand and his wings cam bursting from his shoulders.  Amano gave a strangled shout and several people gasped.  They had been told about the Draconians, but it was a completely different story to actually see wings growing out of someone's back then hearing it.  

"Just breathe and concentrate," Van instructed Hitomi firmly, but his hands gently cupped her shoulders.  Hitomi's forehead creased in intense concentration and with a strangled cry, her own wings, larger, brighter and more awe-inspiring than Van's flowed up behind her. 

"Good girl." Aronic ruffled Hitomi's soft hair affectionately.  "You only have one try at this, so don't lose concentration."  Aronic placed one hand on Hitomi's shoulder and one hand on Van's shoulder.  In a heartbeat, Aronic's wings rose up majestically behind her.  Hitomi touched Van's mind tentatively.  A bright overwhelming feeling of happiness buoyed her up.  The pendent burst out in a rose colored light and the feather around Hitomi's neck burned and flickered with an answering light.  The crystal tear embedded in the stem of the feather remained opaque and absorbed the light, but was hot to the touch.  The light that now radiated through the clearing was blinding.    

_Almost there, _Van whispered into Hitomi's thoughts.

_We're going to make it,  _Hitomi replied resolutely, with the optimism that was just as much a part of her as her light hair and green eyes.  She could feel him smile. 

Suddenly, a pillar of light pierced the sky and surrounded Yukari, Amano, Aoki, Hajime and Hitomi's parents.  And in a heartbeat, they were gone. 

Hitomi stood, looking up into the sky, staring up at the life she was letting go long after it had disappeared.  She jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Oh! Van…" she said a little sheepishly.  Aronic and Merle were gone.  Hitomi didn't even remember them leaving.  Van looked away.  His expression was closed off.

"What's wrong?" Hitomi asked, leaned up towards him a little too cheerfully. 

"You don't have to pretend."  Van muttered, walking past her.  He leaned casually against the Escaflowne. 

"What do you mean?" Hitomi asked, a little hurt by the abrupt dismissal. 

"Aren't you regretting not going back? 

_Ah, _thought Hitomi.  _So that was it._  Hitomi walked up to Van and sank down cross-legged into the grass beside him. 

"No way.  I'm never going to make that mistake again.  I don't ever want to leave you, Van.  Even if I had to give up my life on Earth to do it."  She smiled up at him.  "I mean, I'm sad I had to say good-bye to my friends…and my family.  But I don't think, even if I had decided to go back with them, I could have just kept going on like nothing had happened. I---I put them in a lot of danger…Another person like Rianne might have come and tried to hurt them again."  Hitomi's gaze fell back to the soft grass she was sitting on.  "But…I wouldn't have it any other way.  I could never regret being here with you, Van."  Van was silent.  Then he slid down to sit next to her.  Hitomi rested her head against his shoulder. 

"So…will you stay and…and help rebuild Fanelia?" Van asked, not quite looking at her.  Hitomi nodded. 

"It's going to be a lot of work.  Somehow the people in Gaea will have to get used to living with the Draconians.  They're still just legends to most people, you know.  And…and they only really listen to you, Hitomi."  

"But they have a lot of respect for you, Van."  Van slipped his hand into his pocket.

"I..uh…" he stuttered.  "Will you----could you…I mean, I know that I was supposed to….Fanelia needs a political marriage, but… the castle could really use…if you stay, the castle's really big…"  He played nervously with something in his hand.  

Dismay suddenly filed Hitomi's heart.  _Oh, no.  _She thought.  _A political marriage? Would there never just be a happy ending for her?_

 "Would you please…marry me? And be my queen?"  Van looked away, his face bright red.  He thrust out his other hand towards her.  In his roughly gloved palm lay a gorgeous, ancient Draconian ring.  It was made of gilded silver wrought into beautiful pictures of the moon and a feather.  A clear stone sparkled in one of the moon shapes. The stone was inlaid deep, sparkling with the tiniest hint of blue from hidden depths. 

"It was my mother's," Van muttered. 

Hitomi threw her arms around Van's neck, toppling them both over, "Yes!" 

Van laughed and let himself tumble backwards, careful to  cushion her on top of himself. 

"But what about the nobles in Fanelia that wanted a political match?" Hitomi asked worriedly. 

Van grinned mischievously. "Aren't you willing to fight for me?" he teased.  He sobered up a little and said more seriously, "I guess I'm my father's son.  He married for love.  I will, too." 

_I love you, _Hitomi whispered to him, to overcome to speak.  Van couldn't even answer.  He brought Hitomi close and kissed away her tears. 

Van knew fighting against the old traditionalists wouldn't be easy, but he would never give up fighting for her.  They had come this far, right?  Hitomi had come back, Fanelia had reaffirmed in everyone's mind that this new country fought for peace,  they solved an ancient conflict with the Draconians and now they were willing to try and live with the people of Gaea in peace.  They had even somehow changed Hitomi into a new kind of Draconian, fixing the "unbalance" in her, allowing her to stay in Gaea. 

Hadn't they already proved that they would go through anything to be together?  What could a bunch of old men on a council do that a horde of angry Draconians or an alliance army hadn't already accomplished.  He loved Hitomi more than he loved life and he wanted the whole world to know!

_Bring it on_, he thought. 

More than anything, more than rebuilding Fanelia, more than Gaea's peace, Van wanted…a son.

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_FIN_

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Hey guys! I always wanted to end a story with "Fin" ! It's so a graceful way to end!   Well, that was it, guys! I know it didn't turn out exactly how I had planned it, but that's what happens with stories sometimes, ne? (Or what happeneds when you abandon it, then pick it up after half a year or so.) I just wanted to thank all of my reviewers, my beta-reader, Nachtmusik.  Especially B and K for finally convincing me to pick this back up. (Yeah, I love you guys.  Give me a cookie.)  Thanks to Kya77 and Cloudygirl.  Thank you Rhapsody's song for keeping with me!  And everybody else that I don't have room to fit on this page.  Thanx a bunch, and if you haven't REVIEW!


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